


first confluence

by florenceshy



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-19
Updated: 2016-10-16
Packaged: 2018-05-02 09:49:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 23,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5243813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/florenceshy/pseuds/florenceshy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Does this belong to you?”</p>
<p>In his hand, the boy held a water bottle. It had a sticker on it of the basketball team’s emblem and scrawled in large print below the sticker was five letters.</p>
<p>S-O-R-E-Y.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. first confluence

“Hey, I’ll be back in a minute, keep going without me.”  
  
Sorey called out as he waved back at Rose and the others on the basketball team.  
  
“Wait, what? Whe-” He heard Rose break off mid-sentence with a groan. “Actually nevermind, just be quick, we gotta practice otherwise we’ll get our butts kicked next week. Alright everyone, get back in your places.”  
  
Sorey couldn’t suppress his smile, grabbing his empty water bottle from its place on the edge of the court as he jogged out of the gym. He felt a little bad for interrupting their practice, but he really was getting very thirsty and Rose would be the first to chastise him for allowing himself to become dehydrated. He’d made that mistake before.  
  
“ _Idiot, you scared me half to death! What are we supposed to do if you let yourself get sick before a game? Say something next time before it gets like this, Sorey.”_  
  
He’d pushed himself to the limit that day, his body eventually shutting down mid-practice. He remembered he’d almost broken his nose when he fell. When he got intensely focused on something, he had a bad habit of forgetting everything else, including things like eating and drinking. He was trying to curb that particular habit as much as possible these days, if only to keep his friends from worrying.  
  
Stopping at the drinking fountain, he took a moment to splash some water on his face before filling his bottle. There was a slight breeze outside and Sorey allowed himself an extra minute to enjoy the feeling of the cool air against his sweat-soaked skin. It was halfway through the school year and their team had yet to lose a game, but that didn’t mean they could slack off. With that thought, Sorey turned to head back inside, but stopped when he realized he could hear something. A soft noise in the background that he hadn’t noticed until now.  
  
‘ _Huh, what’s that? Is it...music? I didn’t think anyone else was still here this late.’_  
  
Normally the school grounds were deserted by half past three, it was already 4:15pm. His curiosity getting the better of him, Sorey followed the faint sounds all the way to the school’s music room. Now that he was closer, Sorey discovered that what he had been hearing was the sound of a piano. He didn’t recognize the piece being played, but one thing was clear, whoever was playing it was very talented.  
  
‘ _Slowly, quietly...’_  
  
He was careful to make no sound as he slid the door open just enough to get a clear view of the room. Sorey frowned, the person on the piano had their back facing the door.  
  
‘ _I won’t be able to tell who it is like this.’_  
  
Intent as he was on discerning the pianist’s identity, he didn’t notice his water bottle slip from his hand until it hit the ground with a loud _thud_. Sorey, startled back into awareness, leapt back from the door. The flow of music cut off with a jarring mixture of incorrect notes as the person inside spun to face the source of the disturbance.  
  
“Who’s there?”  
  
_‘Crap!’_  
  
Sorey spun on his heel and ran from the area as fast as his legs would carry him, not stopping until he was safely back inside the gym. Although, he thought to himself, ‘safe’ was most likely not the most accurate word to use at that moment in time.  
  
“SOREY!”  
  
He cringed slightly at the obvious anger in Rose’s tone as she stalked over, the look in her eyes not boding well for him. Grabbing the front of his jersey, she pulled him down so that his face was level with hers.  
  
‘ _How long was I gone? She’s gonna kill me.’_  
  
“What the heck were you doing? Did you go to the bathroom and fall in? I was about to send out a damn search party.”  
  
Glancing at the clock on the wall, Sorey was shocked to see it was just past 4:30pm. He’d been gone for almost 20 minutes. He’d been so spellbound by the sound of the piano and then his fixation on the person playing it, the time had been the last thing on his mind. He opened his mouth to explain why he’d been gone so long, but then stopped before speaking.  
  
‘ _Is there a non-creepy way to say I was basically spying on somebody in the music room, it sounds bad just thinking it.’_  
  
Not wanting to make Rose any more annoyed at him, Sorey decided to move straight to apologizing. He said he just got distracted and that it wouldn’t happen again. The look on Rose’s face said she wasn’t entirely convinced by his excuse, but she didn’t attempt to get the truth out of him, much to his immense relief. She huffed something under her breath that sounded like ‘expect you to practice twice as hard’ and headed back on to the court.  
  
  
  
  
They finished up their practice for the day and were almost done packing away the equipment when someone entered the gym, remaining by the door. Sorey turned, wondering what everyone was looking at and he’d think later that it felt like he’d been struck by lightning.  
  
The person by the door was a boy of about average height; he was wearing the complete uniform of their school. His hair was so pale as to be almost transparent, with the faintest tinge of aquamarine. His eyes were a striking shade of violet, made only more noticeable by the lightness of his skin. Sorey could only describe him as ‘beautiful’ and even that felt like he wasn’t doing the boy’s appearance justice. At a glance, he appeared more as some kind of spiritual being, rather than an ordinary human.  
  
‘ _What’s the matter with me?’_  
  
If he hadn’t been frozen to the spot, he would have put a hand to his chest; completely sure his heart was about to burst right out of his body. His reverie was broken when Rose called out to everyone.  
  
“You guys can finish this up, can’t you? I’ll go see what he wants.”  
  
Pulling his eyes away from the mysterious boy, Sorey found he was actually breathing hard, as if he’d just run a lap around the building. Confused, he tried to busy himself with collecting the stray basketballs, but found himself flicking his eyes over to where Rose was speaking with their visitor. He almost tripped over his own feet when she turned and beckoned him over.  
  
“Oi, Sorey. Come ‘ere a minute.”  
  
His thoughts ground to a halt. In a supreme moment of stupidity, he pointed to himself as if to ask ‘Are you talking to me?’. Rose gave him a look that just screamed ‘Stop with the comedy routine and get over here.’  
  
‘ _What’s this guy want with me?’_  
  
He dropped the ball he’d been holding and jogged over.  
  
“Rose, what’s up?”  
  
She just pointed to the pale-haired student and walked away, leaving Sorey to squirm in the awkward silence.  
  
“Um...”  
  
Sorey tried to think of something, anything, to say. The other boy simply reached into his bag and pulled something from inside it, holding it out for Sorey to see. Sorey felt his stomach drop, if his face hadn’t been red before, it definitely was now.  
  
“Does this belong to you?”  
  
In his hand, the boy held a water bottle. It had a sticker on it of the basketball team’s emblem and scrawled in large print below the sticker was five letters.  
  
S-O-R-E-Y.  
  
‘ _That’s right, I dropped it. Outside the...music room.’_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♫ the song I have Mikleo playing in this scene is Rakuen by Kanno Yuugo, from the Psycho-Pass OST. Look it up, to listen to while you read if you feel like hearing what Sorey is hearing ♫


	2. rhyme of another summer

‘ _That’s right, I dropped it. Outside the...music room.’_  
  
Sorey felt like kicking himself, he’d never felt more embarrassed in his life. He could see the other boy waiting for an answer and decided it wouldn’t do any good to try to lie at this point; he was a terrible liar anyway and he’d most likely only make himself look like more of an idiot.  
  
‘ _The truth it is then. Here goes...’_  
  
“Y-yeah, that’s mine. Um, I-I...”  
  
For some reason, Sorey couldn’t make his voice do what he wanted, incredibly conscious of those vibrant eyes watching him. He actually jumped a little when the pale-haired student finally spoke.  
  
“Ah, I would recommend keeping a better eye on your things, next time.”  
  
Sorey could only manage to nod his head as the boy pressed the bottle into his hand, before turning and walking away. Sorey watched him go, only realizing once the boy had disappeared from sight, that he’d both forgotten to thank him and ask him for his name. He groaned and rubbed a hand over his face.  
  
‘ _Great, now he probably thinks I’m weird, stupid AND rude. What the heck is the matter with me today?’_  
  
Suddenly, he was aware of several pairs of eyes on him. He turned to see Rose and his teammates standing on the opposite side of the gym, eyebrows raised. Rose was holding his backpack in her hand, so they must have finished tidying up while he’d been occupied with the other boy. Rose had to have picked up on his discomfort because she waved everyone towards the exit as she walked over to where he was standing.  
  
“Alright, everyone. Nothin’ to see here, same time tomorrow and don’t anyone be late or you’ll be in BIG trouble.”  
  
There were a few grumbles about what a slave driver she was, but it was obvious no one was going to argue. She chucked his bag at him when she got close enough and he caught it with a grateful smile.  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
She smiled back at him, nudging him with her shoulder as she fell into step beside him.  
  
“Wanna talk about it?”  
  
“I’d rather you stick pins in my eyes.”  
  
Rose started laughing, calling him a ‘drama queen’ and soon, he was laughing along with her. Sometimes, it was just impossible to be unhappy when Rose was around. She would always say just the right things to put a smile on his face.  
  
“Fair enough, I won’t push. Even though I’m suuuuuuuper curious.”  
  
He thanked her again; she was a good person and Sorey hoped she knew how much he valued her friendship. Their conversation turned to possible practice strategies and eventually faded into a comfortable silence. They split up at a crossroads, their houses seperated by several blocks.  
  
“See ya’ tomorrow, Sorey.”  
  
He waved and continued on towards home. He lived in a tiny two-bedroom house; one of several properties owned by the school for the purpose of housing students who didn’t have any family.  
  
Sorey had been raised by his grandfather, but Gramps had passed away just before he’d entered high school and Sorey had been living on his own ever since. He wasn’t lonely, he thought as he pushed through the front door, kicking his shoes off in the entryway. Rose, Alisha, Edna, Dezel and Zaveid came over sometimes and when he was alone, he had his books.  
  
His main hobby was reading about the history of the world and researching various ancient ruins. His dream was to one day go out and see them all for himself, maybe he would even discover ruins nobody had found yet, that would be so cool! None of his friends shared this interest with him; they’d listen when he talked about it, but they didn’t feel any of his enthusiasm.  
  
After changing out of his sweaty basketball uniform, Sorey thought he’d re-read his favourite book. It was called “The Celestial Record” and he’d probably been through it over a hundred times, but it never got boring. He flopped down on to his bed and stretched out, feeling his tired muscles relaxing. It was a very large bed; he could easily fit two of himself in it and still have room to move.  
  
He rolled on to his side and went to take the book from its place on the floor beside his bed, when his eyes wandered over to his backpack. It had fallen over while he’d been changing and his water bottle had rolled out and was now lying in the middle of the floor.  
  
‘ _Ah, I would recommend keeping a better eye on your things, next time.’_  
  
Sorey stood up and picked the bottle up off the floor, suddenly noticing that it weighed almost nothing. When he’d dropped it outside the music room, he’d just refilled it, so it should have been full. He turned it over to check for any leaks or breaks, but it appeared to be intact. He shook it beside his ear and his eyes widended when he heard a small sound, like something boucing around on the inside. He unscrewed the lid and tipped the bottle upside-down. Sorey wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but he was surprised nonetheless when a small folded up piece of paper dropped out on to his open palm.  
  
‘ _Did he put this in here?’_  
  
He sat down on the edge of his bed, setting the now empty bottle down beside him and began unfolding the paper. It was a note. There were three lines written in neat, simple handwriting.

 

_Just come in, next time._

 

_I’ll even leave the door open._

 

_\-- Mikleo_

 

“Mikleo?”  
  
Sorey felt a strange warmth when he read the name on the paper out loud. He closed his eyes and summoned his memory of the boy’s face. Mikleo. Mikleo. It just...felt right, he couldn’t explain how, it just did.  
  
‘ _His name is Mikleo.’_  
  
  
  
  
When his alarm clock goes off the following morning, Sorey barely controls the urge to throw it across the room; it had taken him forever to get to sleep last night. After reading it approximately a dozen times, he’d refolded the note and slipped it inside his copy of “The Celestial Record”. He’d given up on getting any reading done and had gone immediately to bed after a quick dinner. Although, that hadn’t done anything to quiet the thoughts racing around and around inside his head.  
  
‘ _Should I try to go to the music room after practice and see if he’s there again? It sort of sounded like he was inviting me...right?’_  
  
Maybe he was overthinking things, it could have just been a simple joke; teasing him for getting himself caught. That was probably all, he was imagining things, he’d put the entire incident out of his mind and that would be that. His decision made, Sorey shoved the covers off and proceeded to get ready for, what he told himself, would be a normal day of school.  
  
  
**5:08pm  
**   
Sorey stared at the numbers illuminated on the screen of his phone. They’d finished up their basketball practice almost 10 minutes ago, but he had yet to leave the school grounds.  
  
‘ _I can’t hear any music today...’_  
  
He tried to pretend he wasn’t disappointed. He’d told himself he wouldn’t dwell on what happened yesterday, but following through had proved much more difficult than originally thought. Slipping his phone back into his pocket, he pushed off the outer wall of the gym with a sigh. The volleyball team had the gym after school for the next three days, so maybe he’d try to go to the music room as soon as school ended tomorrow.  
  
“Just to say thank you, that’s all.”  
  
He sounded unconvincing, even to his own ears. It seemed he was an even worse liar when it was himself he was trying to lie to.  
  
  
  
  
The next day passed at such a slow pace, Sorey wasn’t able to absorb much of anything in any of his classes, he was actually relieved that he didn’t have to go to practice afterwards. He was so restless, he couldn’t concentrate on anything for more than a few minutes before his mind wandered back to thoughts of seeing Mikleo again.  
  
Two more minutes until the last bell.  
  
‘ _It’s probably a good thing we didn’t have the gym today, I can’t say I’d have been any good the way I am now.’_  
  
One minute.  
  
‘ _Rose is my friend, but I can’t say for sure she wouldn’t come after me if she thought I wasn’t taking our practices seriously.’_  
  
The ball finally rang out and Sorey quickly jammed everything back into his backpack as he followed his classmates out the door. On his way to the music room, he remembered to quickly stop at the gym to say a few words to Alisha.  
  
Alisha was the first friend Sorey had made on his first day at Ladylake High. She’d taken a wrong turn and ended up hopelessly lost; Sorey had gone to visit Gramps’ grave in the morning before school and come across Alisha outside the cemetery. Upon discovering they were both Ladylake students, they’d ended up walking together and the rest was history.  
  
Alisha had light brown hair, which she kept tied up on one side with a white and yellow flower accessory and her eyes were a slightly lighter shade of green than his own. She’d originally volunteered to assist the basketball team with their practices, but when Sorey had found out she had an interest in joining the volleyball team, he’d encouraged her to go for it.  
  
Poking his head through the gym doors, he sees the girls haven’t started their practice yet.  
  
“Alisha!”  
  
He calls out and waves, she sees him and says a few words to her teammates before coming over.  
  
“Ah, Sorey. Are you heading home now?”  
  
“Pretty much, just wanted to see how you were doing.”  
  
Alisha smiles as she tells him she’s sure they can win their next match, but she’s also very nervous and afraid she’ll mess up on the day.  
  
“You should be more confident, Alisha. You’re a really good player, you’ll be great! I know it.”  
  
Colour floods her cheeks and she turns away, quietly thanking him for his support. He laughs and they speak for a little while longer. Eventually, she’s called back so that the team can commence their practice and Sorey resumes his walk to the music room.  
  
His breath catches momentarily when he picks up the distant sound of the piano, a wild mixture of emotions flooding his veins. He turns the corner and his mouth drops open when he sees the door to the room is wide open.  
  
‘ _Wait, this song...’_  
  
Sorey is surprised to discover he recognizes the song being played, he recalls it from a film Gramps had watched once. He couldn’t remember the name of the film, he thinks it might have been French.  
  
‘ _Alright, I’m just gonna go in there and say thank you and then...’_  
  
Sorey admits he doesn’t really know what he’ll do after that, but not wanting to waste any more time, takes a deep breath and moves to make his presence known. He feels a sharp tug as he lifts his foot and his momentum carries him forward. Before he can make any moves to save himself, his legs tangle and he falls with a yelp just inside the doorframe.  
  
Just as before, the music cuts off and there is a moment of silence before a familiar voice asks.  
  
“Are you alright?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♫ the song Mikleo is playing is Comptine d'un autre été - L'après-midi from the 2001 film Amélie. Thought I'd put it down here in case anyone wanted to listen to it and imagine what Sorey is hearing xD (it's friggin' beautiful, just go listen to it anyway) ♫
> 
> Poor Sorey, he just can't catch a break xD
> 
> Anyway, I hope this is okay for my second chapter. I'm so rusty with writing and I'm remembering how HARD it is sometimes. I tried really hard to make this good so the lovely people who have already left me SUCH KIND COMMENTS (srsly you guys, you have no idea how much your niceness means to me omg) won't be disappointed.
> 
> I'm gonna keep plugging away and I'm really hoping I can actually hang on to my writing urge to finish this thing
> 
> EDIT// FIXED // The words are still getting cut off which really bugs me but I can't figure out how to fix it so I just hope it doesn't get too much in the way of the reading of the story ;_____;


	3. nascence

“Are you alright?”  
  
Mikleo could feel his heart hammering inside his chest, he’d been completely absorbed in his playing when the sound of someone shouting behind him had almost frightened him half to death.  
  
“Yep, I’m fine, nothing to worry about.” The other boy replied, his response slightly muffled from his position face down on the floor.  
  
Mikleo stood and walked around the piano bench, unsure what to make of the situation he had suddenly found himself in.  
  
“Here, let me help you up.”  
  
He leaned over and held out his hand, he couldn’t see any immediate injuries on the guy, but he thought it was polite to offer anyway. The boy on the floor said something that sounded like a ‘thank you’ and took Mikleo’s outstretched hand. Once he’d gotten the other student back on his feet, his eyes widened with recognition.  
  
“I know you. Sorey, was it? The basketball player from the other day.”  
  
The boy named Sorey smiled sheepishly and Mikleo would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little charmed by it. Sorey’s hair was a soft chocolate brown and his eyes were a vivid green, not overly remarkable; nothing to explain the confusing pull Mikleo was feeling towards him.  
  
“Yeah, that’s me. Thanks for the hand, I guess I must have tripped on something.”  
  
Mikleo glanced down.  
  
“Well, your shoelace is untied, so that would be my guess. While we’re on the subject of hands, can I have mine back?” Sorey looked down at their still joined hands and jumped back, sputtering an apology. Mikleo smiled, in spite of himself, bringing his now free hand up to try to cover it. “So, did you need something?”  
  
Sorey seemed to remember why he’d come and cleared his throat, making an obvious effort to appear more natural.  
  
“Yeah, um, I wanted to say thank you. For the other day, I mean.”  
  
‘ _He came all the way here just to say thank you for returning a water bottle?’  
  
_ Mikleo felt an image begin to form in his mind of what kind of person Sorey was.  
  
“You’re welcome, I guess. It was no problem, I had to go past the gym anyway. Is there something else? You look like there’s more you want to say.”  
  
Sorey froze momentarily, surprised that Mikleo had noticed, maybe? Whatever the brunette feels, he shakes it off and links his hands behind his head, rocking back on his heels.  
  
“I didn’t know whether or not I should say anything, since we just sort of met, but I guess as far as first impressions go, I can’t really do any worse than I already have...”  
  
Mikleo almost pointed out that Sorey hadn’t really made a _bad_ first impression, per se, but decided not to interrupt.  
  
“...so I’ll just say it. I th-UWAH!”  
  
Mikleo almost jumped out of his skin when Sorey suddenly shouted, dashing over to where Mikleo’s bag lay on its side on one of the desks.  
  
“What? What is it?” He asked, wondering what the other boy had seen to make him react like that.  
  
“You’ve read ‘The Celestial Record’ too?!”  
  
Mikleo sees the books in his bag had spilled on to the desk when he’d pulled his sheet music out earlier. Including his copy of “The Celestial Record” that Sorey was now gesturing at with wild excitement.  
  
“Too? So, you also...?”  
  
Sorey seems to almost vibrate on the spot, the smile on his face positively enormous. He begins to list all the things in the book that interest him, which seems to be _everything,_ the pale-haired teen thinks with amusement. Mikleo finds himself being drawn easily into a lengthy conversation about the possible origins of the myths within the tome, their relation to real life locations and monuments; and much more.  
  
Mikleo feels the swell of excitement building in his own chest the longer they speak, he’s never had someone to discuss his personal interests with. Sorey not only listens to him, but responds to Mikleo’s opinions with his own ideas and theories. He doesn’t remember the last time he felt so...alive.  
  
“Wow, I never thought I’d find someone who liked all this stuff as much as I do,” Sorey said, that dazzling smile on his face again. “I’m really happy I got to meet you, Mikleo!”  
  
Mikleo feels a flush creeping from his neck to his face, with all that innocent exuberance focused squarely on him, he finds himself suddenly hyper aware of his own behaviour.  
  
“H-how can you say things like that so easily?”  
  
Sorey blinks and his expression shifts to a look of contemplation, eventually he shrugs his shoulders. “I’ve always been like this, I guess.”  
  
Mikleo was about to reply when his phone began to chime, he pulled it from his bag and was shocked to see it was already 4:30. Their conversation had lasted over an hour and neither of them had noticed at all.  
  
“Sorry, I’ve got to get going now.” Mikleo said as he packed his things back into his bag, surprised at how much he really wanted to stay and spend more time with Sorey.  
  
“It’s that late already? Heh heh, I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun.” Sorey chuckled as he looked at the clock hanging above the door. “Hey, listen...it was really cool talking with you today and if you don’t mind, would you like to...I dunno...hang out sometime?”  
  
“Really?” The word is out of his mouth before he can stop it and Sorey is looking at him again, hope practically oozing from every orifice. “I...I’d like that.”  
  
The brunette actually pumps his fist in a gesture of victory and Mikleo finds himself smiling for what feels like the fiftieth time since meeting Sorey, he’s just unlike anyone the pale-haired boy has ever encountered before.  
  
“So, I’ll see you later, Mikleo!” Sorey says as he heads for the door.  
  
“S-See you later.”  
  
In the minutes following Sorey’s departure, Mikleo goes over their encounter in his mind as he locks up the music room. Just as he’s passing through the school’s front gates, he wonders how Sorey knew his name.  
  
‘ _I don’t recall telling him the first time we me-’  
  
_ Then he remembers. That note he’d written on a childish whim, mildly annoyed at having been interrupted. For a moment he’s mortified at his past actions, but then he thinks that without that, Sorey might not have come and they might never have ended up discovering their unusual connection.  
  
“Not an ideal beginning, but I can’t say I regret it.” He mutters to himself.  
  
‘ _Not yet, at least.’_  
  
  
  
  
Mikleo pushed the door open on the small house the school had assigned him to live, removing his shoes and arranging them neatly in the entryway. After changing out of his school uniform, he made a simple dinner and prepared his lunch for the following day. Flicking through the television channels while eating, he ended up settling on a nature documentary he was rather sure he’d seen before.  
  
His eyes settled on the framed picture of his mother on the table beside the television. His mother had died just before he’d entered Ladylake High, but he was the first to admit, he hadn’t known her very well. His mother had been a delicate-looking women, Mikleo had inherited much of his physical traits from her, including his unusual eye colour. Her hair had been a plain brown though, much like Sorey. For the vast majority of his life, his mother had rarely been home. His memories of her were limited, but he’d never think of her and doubt that she’d loved him dearly.  
  
There had been only one other person at her funeral, an old man who’d apparently known his mother for many years. He’d introduced himself as Zenrus, but Mikleo had never seen the man again after that. He wishes he’d asked more questions, but at the time, he simply hadn’t thought of it.  
  
He’d visit her grave tomorrow before school and tell her about meeting Sorey. It wasn’t like he actually thought she could hear him, but going through these particular motions always seemed to make him feel a little better.  
  
After washing the few dishes he’d made, he took his copy of “The Celestial Record” out of his school bag and dropped on to his bed to re-read the passages he and Sorey had talked about. Sorey had some different and interesting perspectives and it was almost like reading it for the first time again. He ended up reading for much longer than he should have and it was almost midnight by the time he finally put it down.  
  
Mikleo switched off the light and climbed under the covers, falling asleep to thoughts of distant ruins and emerald green eyes.

 


	4. unspoken

 

“Crapcrapcrap! I’m gonna be totally late!” Sorey hastily pulls on his jacket as he glances at the clock on the wall.  
  
He’d overslept and now he was almost certain to be completely late, he and Mikleo had agreed to meet outside the library at 10am. It was now 9:45am and it would take him at least 20 minutes, if he ran very fast, to get there.  
  
Sorey cringes as he thinks of Mikleo waiting for him. “I hope he isn’t too mad, especially since I was the one who asked him to help me study.”  
  
He grabs his backpack, fumbling for a moment with his keys as he rushes to lock the front door behind him.  
  
‘ _Maybe he overslept too and we’ll both get there at the same time. I can hope, right?’_  
  
  
  
  
Sorey hopped from foot to foot impatiently, waiting for the lights to change so he could cross the street. It was ten minutes past the hour, he was officially late.  
  
‘ _Come on! Change already, I’m gonna be in so much trouble wit-’_  
  
Finally, the light switched to green and Sorey was already halfway across the road before anyone else had stepped down from the curb. He saw Mikleo almost as soon as the library was in his sights, his distinctive hair setting him apart, even from a distance.  
  
‘ _Uh-oh.’_  
  
Sorey watched as Mikleo pushed back the sleeve of his light-blue cardigan, checking his watch with a frown. Yep, he looked mad.  
  
“Here goes...MIKLEO!” Sorey shouted, one arm raised in greeting as he jogged over to where the other was leaning against the wall.  
  
Mikleo’s head jerked up, his eyes scanning the area until they landed on Sorey.  
  
“You’re late.” Mikleo called out as he came to meet Sorey. “I’ve been waiting for over 15 minutes.”  
  
Sorey stopped in front of the shorter male, bending over with his hands resting on his knees in an attempt to catch his breath.  
  
“I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to sleep so late but it was only like five more minutes and I ran as fast as I could.” He said, when his breathing finally calmed enough to talk.  
  
Mikleo huffed. “I asked you when we planned this, if ten was too early, but you said you’d be fine. Were you up late last night?”  
  
Sorey straightened up, one hand rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.  
  
“Y-yeah.” Sorey didn’t want to say the reason he’d been up late.  
  
He’d been so nervous about today, it was the first time they were meeting somewhere other than school and each other’s homes since they’d met over three months ago. Sorey’s mind turned to the museum brochure in his backpack, he wanted to ask Mikleo if he was interested in going once they were finished, but he didn’t know if he’d have the courage.  
  
‘ _Would it be too weird? I mean, we’ve known each other a while and we’re pretty good friends already. Now that I finally have someone to share all this stuff with, I just...know I wouldn’t enjoy it as much if I went by myself.’_  
  
“ Let’s go inside. There’s a lot you wanted to go through to get you ready for this test, right?” Mikleo said as he started for the entrance to the library.  
  
  
  
  
“Oh my god, my head is gonna’ explode.” Sorey groaned, dropping his head onto his notes.  
  
“Well, I think we’ve done all we can here. You’re already very smart, I don’t know why you thought you needed my help.” Mikleo says as he closes his own notebook.  
  
“I’m so bad with tests, if it’s anything but history, I just can’t concentrate and I forget everything I’ve learned.” He explains as he sits up. “Such a pain.”  
  
Mikleo smiles. “I’m sure you’ll do fine.”  
  
Sorey likes it when Mikleo smiles, those normally stern features softening in a way that makes him feel like he has butterflies in his stomach.  
  
“So, any other plans for the day?” Mikleo asks, packing away his things.  
  
Sorey slips his books back into his bag, eyeing the museum brochure.  
  
“Actually...” He hesitates.  
  
Mikleo turns to look at him, violet eyes inquisitive. “Hm?”  
  
‘ _Just ask him. Mikleo, do you wanna go to the museum with me? Easy.’_  
  
“Actually, um...there’s this exhibition on at the museum,” Sorey pulls out the brochure and hands it to Mikleo. “I was wondering if you wanted to check it out? I mean, if you’ve got no other plans or anything.”  
  
For a moment, Mikleo doesn’t reply and Sorey starts to feel regret.  
  
‘ _It was too soon, god, why did I-’_  
  
“Alright. Let’s go.”  
  
Sorey’s thoughts ground to a halt.  
  
“R-really?” He stammered out.  
  
Mikleo’s head tipped to one side, regarding him with puzzlement.  
  
“Why are you so surprised? It looks fascinating, frankly, I’d have expected you to have been already.”  
  
Sorey shrugged. “I guess I just...haven’t found time until now.”  
  
Mikleo’s face says he isn’t entirely convinced, but he doesn’t press any further.  
  
“Well, we better get going or we’ll run out of time to see everything.” Mikleo said, standing quickly.  
  
Sorey just nods, excitement bubbling in his chest at the thought of seeing and discussing all the artifacts with Mikleo.  
  
  
  
  
“Wow, this one is really old, the inscriptions are almost completely faded.” Mikleo says, his fingers pressed softly against the glass case around the ancient monolith.  
  
Sorey steps up beside him, green eyes scanning the heavily degraded surface of the stone.  
  
“All I can make out,” Sorey begins, “Is that it seems to be describing some sort of offering, made to spirits they call Seraphim, in exchange for a...a blessing? I’m not 100% sure if that’s the right word, it’s so worn away.”  
  
“As far as I can tell, that’s as good a translation as any.” Mikleo’s hand comes up to curl against his chin, an action he does unconsciously when thinking. “A blessing, huh? I wonder what that means exactly?”  
  
Sorey folds his arms over his chest.  
  
“Some kind of magical protection, maybe? Protection from what, though?” He wonders aloud.  
  
Mikleo hums in agreement, Sorey can practically see the gears turning inside the other boy’s head as he silently considers and discards possible ideas. Once again, Sorey is struck by how happy he is to have found someone who is as interested in history and ancient artifacts as he is.  
  
“Everything else is pretty much illegible, maybe one of the other pieces here will offer an answer to our questions.”  
  
“Yeah, let’s head to the next room.” Sorey suggests, eager to see what else the exhibit has to offer.  
  
They head into the adjacent room and on the far wall is an enormous collage of photographs, neither of them can suppress their awe as they walk from one end of the display to the other.  
  
“Look at the size of this tree stump, it must be thousands of years old! So cool!”  
  
“An oasis in the desert, huh? If the water appears this clear in a photograph, it must be beautiful to witness with one’s own eyes.”  
  
“Mikleo, check out this weird carving, it looks like an eye. I feel like if you got anywhere near it, something bad would happen.”  
  
“Goats are such resilient animals. They make their homes in the most unlikely of places, don’t they, Sorey?”  
  
Suddenly, their energetic exchange was interrupted by a low growling noise.  
  
“Was that...your stomach?” Mikleo asked with a slight pause.  
  
The growling sounded again and Sorey grinned, a little embarrassed.  
  
“I didn’t even notice until now, but I’m starving.” He replied. “We forgot all about lunch, didn’t we?”  
  
Sorey pulled out his phone to check the time.  
  
‘ _Uwah, it’s almost 4pm, we’ve been here for hours!”_  
  
His stomach growled again, now that he was aware of his hunger, it seemed determined to assert itself as loudly as possible. Mikleo attempted to stifle his amusement, but was mostly unsuccessful. Sorey should have been annoyed that he was being laughed at, but all he could think was how much he _liked_ hearing Mikleo laugh.  
  
“Alright, the museum will be closing soon and we’ve seen everything now. Do you want to come back to my house, since it’s a bit closer?” Mikleo asked, as they both headed back through the exhibits to the entrance.  
  
As it turned out, the houses they’d been assigned by the school were only a few streets away from each other. It was pure chance they’d never met in the years before, due to traveling different routes everyday and leaving at differing times. Since their developing friendship was no longer in any doubt, without either of them suggesting it, they’d been walking to and from school together for about two months now. Sometimes Rose and the others walked with them, but they weren’t very interested in the types of conversations that he and Mikleo carried on. They tried not to get carried away with their talk of history books and ruins when they were in the company of their friends, but after 16 years of mutual restraint, it was difficult to contain the urge to geek out as soon as they were together.  
  
Sorey nodded. “Sure.”  
  
He liked Mikleo’s house. Everything was so organized, very little out of place. Sorey had been a little ashamed the first time he’d had Mikleo over to his own home. He’d thought Mikleo would take one look at the mess and run, but he’d simply glanced at the books strewn everywhere and smiled.  
  
“ _Do you actually own a bed, or do you just sleep on a pile of more books?”_  
  
Sorey had to smile at the memory of Mikleo’s joking tone as he’d picked up some errant volumes that had fallen on the floor.  
  
“Sorey, are you listening?”  
  
Mikleo’s voice pulled him out of his reminiscing.  
  
“Sorry, what were you saying?” He asked apologetically.  
  
Mikleo snorted. “ _I said_ , if you don’t mind eating it, I’ve got some stew leftover from last night at home?”  
  
“Of course I don’t mind! Mikleo’s cooking is the best!” Sorey half-shouted, excitement returning.  
  
Mikleo’s face burned a lovely shade of scarlet, turning his head away and clearing his throat.  
  
“It’s alright, n-nothing special or anything. I’ve just had a lot of practice, that’s all.”  
  
Sorey couldn’t help but think how endearing Mikleo’s obvious embarrassment was, whenever he was complimented. Come to think of it, just about everything Mikleo did only served to deepen Sorey’s affections for him.  
  
“Come on, don’t be so modest. You always get top marks in home ec, don’t you?”  
  
Mikleo didn’t reply, throwing his arm out to hail the bus they’d need to catch back to the library, from there they could walk to Mikleo’s house. They took a seat towards the back, their shoulders touching with every bump and sway of the bus.  
  
“Evil spirits.” Mikleo said, suddenly.  
  
“Mikleo?”  
  
“The monolith. If the people of that era believed in divine spirits, logically, they must have believed in the existence of evil spirits also.” Mikleo explained. “This ‘blessing’ could have been a sort of protection against evil spirits and their influence?”  
  
Sorey thought it over. “That would make the most sense, I guess. Spirits, huh?”  
  
“The way they talk about these ‘Seraphim’, it’s hard to tell if they actually existed.” Mikleo said.  
  
“Just because we can’t see something, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not there. The concept of their existence had to come from somewhere.” Sorey mused, his curiosity piqued. “I wish the surface of the stone hadn’t been so eroded, the rest of the inscription might have had the explanation. Although, trying to guess what it means can be fun too!”  
  
Mikleo chuckled, hiding his smile with his hand. “You’re a ‘silver lining’ kind of person aren’t you?”  
  
Sorey just smiled back in response, feeling Mikleo would understand, even without words. Something passed between them, in that moment, something they just...pretended not to notice. That something was accompanied by a single thought which, unbeknownst to the both of them, was echoed by the other.  
  
_I’m so happy to have met you._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a bit of a long time, I've just been so tired with my job over the Christmas period that I barely had any energy to write. Hopefully this fluffy chapter of the boy's geeking out was worth the wait haha


	5. sun and sea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to add a quick thank you to mah new friend (hope it's okay if I already call us friends????) evr! Our sormik headcanon and fic!idea swaps seriously got me psyched up to get this finished and posted and get back to work so thankiessssssss and this is for you hehe :)

“Mikleo, are you alright?” Alisha called softly.  
   
Mikleo turned around, frowning unhappily at his reflection in the mirror.  
   
“I’m fine, just...having second thoughts about this.”  
   
In truth, he’d purchased the first thing in his size he’d seen, wanting the uncomfortable shopping experience to be over as quickly as possible. Now, he was wishing he’d taken more time, maybe even tried it on first. The blue shorts he was wearing had seemed much bigger and longer on the hanger, in reality, they barely came down to mid-thigh. The short-sleeved jacket with it wasn’t much better, the fabric felt overall too thin and flimsy. Mikleo understood it was because it was meant to be worn in the water and excess material would cause it to take on too much weight once wet, but it still left him feeling...almost naked.  
   
“I understand how you feel, I do, b-but I’ll be frank, it’s a little late for second thoughts. Everyone is waiting for us.” Alisha spoke quickly.  
   
Mikleo sighed, but was unable to suppress a smile at Alisha’s blunt honesty. She was correct, of course. He’d already agreed to this end-of-year weekend beach trip and they’d come all this way; he’d only draw more attention to himself if he didn’t wear the stupid swimsuit.  
   
“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be, I suppose.” He grumbled, fiddling with the zipper on the jacket.  
   
“That’s the spirit, after all, you’re among friends. I’m sure it looks fine.” Alisha said as he exited the change room he’d been using.  
   
“Hey!” He said as he laid eyes on Alisha, who was wrapped up in her towel, the only part of her swimsuit visible was the straps tied behind her neck. “After saying all that, you’re hiding yourself as well?!”  
   
Alisha began to stammer a reply, but they both jumped as Rose’s voice echoed off the walls.  
   
“Jeez, I can feel myself growing old waiting for you two, what’s taking so long?” She groaned as she walked in, her red hair tied back in a high ponytail.  
   
“We were just coming now.” Mikleo said, grabbing his bag off the floor.  
   
Rose smiled and pounced on an unsuspecting Alisha, pulling her towel away in one effortless swipe. Alisha’s swimsuit was a pink and black bikini top that tied behind her neck, the front decorated with a large black bow and paired with a short ruffled skirt in matching colours.  
   
“Ah! I knew it’d look cute on you! You know who I think’ll like it?” Rose went to continue, but Alisha turned an impressive shade of scarlet and covered Rose’s mouth with both hands.  
   
“Please, Rose! You’re embarrassing me!”  
   
His own self-consciousness forgotten for the moment, Mikleo watched the two girls with growing humour, Rose eventually slipping out of Alisha’s grasp with a cat-like grin on her face.  
   
“I’ll give you a clue, he’s the one who gave you that lovely gold armband you’re wearing today.”  
   
_‘Oh!’_  
   
Mikleo realized what Rose was implying. Alisha’s armband was a birthday gift given to her by Sergei Strelka, who was the captain of the Platinum Knights, Pendrago University’s basketball team. He was a good friend of Sorey’s and it was painfully obvious he and Alisha held a mutual affection for each other. Sergei was the one who’d arranged their accommodation at the nearby inn, in fact, the inn being owned by the family of one of Sergei’s teammates.  
   
“Rose!” Alisha squeaked, but then she suddenly lowered her head and began toying with the bow on the front of her swimsuit. “Do you...really think so?”  
   
Rose just laughed. “You’re so adorable, now let’s go! We’re burning precious beach daylight in here!”  
   
Alisha and Mikleo were promptly marched from the changing area to where their friends were waiting outside, minus two very noticeable absences.  
   
“Alright, now it’s a party!” Zavied cried enthusiastically as Rose dragged them over, slapping Mikleo on the back as soon as he was close enough.  
   
“Ow, was that really necessary?” Mikleo said as he tried to rub at the stinging spot between his shoulders.  
   
“Take it easy, Mickey-boy. The way you rug up all the time, thought you might be sportin’ a tat or something else under all those clothes.”  
   
Mikleo felt his discomfort return full-force with Zaveid’s teasing, hoping he wasn’t blushing, he tried to play it off as casually as possible.  
   
“So sorry to disappoint you, but it’s nothing of the sort.” His remark came out more clipped than he had intended.  
   
_‘Sorey’s not here, Sergei either. After all the fuss about taking a long time, I wonder where-’_  
   
“Hey! We found a good spot, everyone!”  
   
Mikleo’s thoughts are cut off as Sorey’s shout catches the group’s attention. Mikleo feels his heart skip a beat; Sorey’s swimming attire consisted only of a pair of blue and orange swim shorts, he also had a snorkeling mask hung around his neck. Mikleo has caught glimpses here and there of Sorey’s body, his basketball jersey pulling up when he stretches is the most common example, but those candid slivers of skin are nothing compared to the full picture presented to him now. The smooth muscled planes of his chest and stomach, the broad sculpt of his shoulders, all combined with the honeyed tone of his lightly tanned skin is enough to render Mikleo momentarily speechless.  
   
Once he catches sight of Mikleo, Sorey seems struck with much the same amount of surprise. He’s never seen Mikleo in anything as revealing as the clothes he’s currently wearing, no matter the weather, he always seemed to favour long sleeves and full-length trousers. This, Sorey thinks, is a very different Mikleo than the one he is accustomed to seeing. Mikleo’s body is lithe and slender, his limbs long and all of his very visible skin appears as pale and lickable as cream.  
   
_‘Oh my god! Did I really just think that?!’_  
   
Sorey is shocked at the unexpected nature of his own thoughts, they’d known each other almost half a year now, but to think of his best friend in _that_ sort of way? Maybe the heat was getting to him? The sooner he could get to the ocean and dunk his head under the water, the better. He forced himself to pull his eyes away and address the rest of his friends, forgetting for a second, what he’d come to tell everyone in the first place.  
   
“U-uh, yeah, so Sergei and I found a nice shaded area that would be great to leave our stuff while we swim. It’s only about 10 seconds from the water. He stayed behind to set up, so I’ll show you guys the way.”  
   
Everyone, including Mikleo, seemed to ignore his earlier odd behaviour and upon gathering the bags piled at their feet, excitedly began walking to the place Sorey had described. Mikleo ended up beside Sorey, which wasn’t surprising really, since they always walked together, but his earlier reaction to Mikleo’s appearance was still heavily on his mind.  
   
“Hey Mikleo, y-you do know how to swim, right?” Sorey stammered out, his tongue not quite working the way he wanted it to. “I mean, because I’ve just never seen you swim and you’ve never talked about swimming and I just-”  
   
Much to his relief, Mikleo responded quickly, halting Sorey’s awkward rambling.  
   
“Of course, I can swim.” He said with a matter-of-fact tone. “As a child, I was actually very fond of swimming, but as I got older I just did it less and less. Anyway, are you alright, Sorey?” Mikleo’s question catches him off guard. “You’re acting a little strangely.”  
   
He has to make an actual effort to keep his eyes on Mikleo’s face when he answers.  
   
“I’m fine, totally, I’m just really excited to be here! I haven’t been to the beach in forever and it’s gonna be great with all of us here and I’m really glad we could all come!” Sorey hopes his less-than-normal demeanor will be taken as simple over enthusiasm, he can feel himself sweating under Mikleo’s scrutiny.  
   
He swears those piercing, violet eyes are seeing straight through him.  
   
“Yes, well, I’m sure the next two days will be as interesting as they are enjoyable.” Mikleo says at last, releasing Sorey from under his intense gaze.  
   
“Try not to sound so excited, Meebo.” Edna said as she tapped her parasol on her shoulder. “Might blow our minds to find out you can actually have fun without a book around.”  
   
Mikleo narrowed his eyes at the slight girl walking in front of them, Sorey could see him internally debating the pros and cons of verbally engaging Edna.  
   
_‘He knows her well enough to know she’s baiting him, but Edna knows Mikleo too, she’s always been able to ruffle his feathers with precisely the right words.’_  
   
“What would you know of the joys of reading, Edna? I’m sure the only thing you’ve read of late is a catalog for those bizarre Normin mascots you collect. Aren’t you a little old to be playing with dolls?”  
   
Sorey’s eyes widened when he saw Edna stiffen for just a second, Mikleo had actually scored a hit with that one, it seemed.  
   
“ _Tch_ , so rude, calling attention to a lady’s age.” Edna tutted, recovering quickly. “Clearly you’ve never picked up a book on basic manners.”  
   
“That’s the pot calling the kettle black, don’t you think?” Mikleo retorted.  
   
As entertaining as Mikleo and Edna’s little exchanges could be, Sorey was grateful when Alisha cried out and redirected everyone’s interest.  
   
“It’s the ocean! Oh, isn’t it simply amazing?”  
   
No one seemed inclined to disagree, the sun was high in the sky and the light reflecting off the clear blue water was a sight to behold.  
   
“The spot’s just over here, we can grab Sergei and then let’s hit the water!” Sorey indicated the direction they needed to go.  
   
Sergei spotted them as soon as they got close, although nobody could miss the stars in his eyes when he looked at Alisha. “Ah, you made good time. I am sure this area will prove most suitable for our needs, as we are located quite a distance from any other people, we should be able to enjoy our swim without worry for the safety of our possessions.” Sergei declared proudly.  
   
Sorey heard Rose snicker quietly behind him, Sergei was kind of old-fashioned, it showed, especially in his speech.  
   
“Alright! Enough lip-flapping!” Rose shouted as she dumped her bag underneath the beach umbrella Sergei had embedded in the sand. “I can hear the ocean calling my name, last one in is a rotten egg!”  
   
The redhead took off in a run for the water. The others all exchanged amused glances—except Dezel, for obvious reasons—before depositing their own bags on the ground and following her into the water.  
   
Dezel remained on the shore, only coming out far enough for the waves to lap over his feet, Rose took an equal mix of pleasure and frustration in dubbing him ‘the rotten egg’.  
   
“Come on, Dez! You can’t come all this way and not get wet! I know you can’t see it, but it feels great too!” She said as she tried to splash him from her position in the water.  
   
It’s not like he was self-conscious about it, but Rose was the only one allowed to refer to Dezel’s blindness so bluntly.  
   
“Oi, quit it!” Dezel replied brusquely, putting his hands up to shield himself. “I can feel it just fine from here.”  
   
“Booooring.” Rose groaned loudly, immediately turning to splash Edna, who let out a rather girlish squeak in surprise.  
   
Zavied disappeared beneath the surface, coming up underneath Edna and lifting the petite blonde up on his shoulders, declaring a ‘Chicken Fight’.  
   
“Yes! Why didn’t I think of that?!” Rose laughed while Edna was threatening all sorts of heinous punishment onto Zavied for his actions. “Sorey! Get over here, you’re on my team!”  
   
Sorey didn’t dare to refuse, wading over to where Rose was waiting and ducking down so she could climb onto his shoulders.  
   
“Come on, Edna. We promise not to beat you too badly.” Rose taunted the other girl.  
   
Edna stopped dead, eventually turning to look at Rose with her blue eyes aflame.  
   
“Alright, you’re asking for it. Get over there.” Edna urged Zavied forward, apparently accepting Rose’s challenge.  
   
“Please be careful!” Alisha called, watching from the sidelines with Mikleo and Sergei.  
   
“No need to worry, princess. Your ol’ buddy Zavied will keep the fair lady safe, don’t you fret.” Zavied quipped with a wink, earning him a pinch from ‘the fair lady’ on his shoulders.  
   
With Zavied’s height and Edna’s small size, Mikleo judged the competition to be a little uneven. Although, Sorey didn’t seem to be having much difficulty with Rose’s weight, so maybe Rose’s strength could prove the tipping point over Edna.  
   
“Dezel, if I win this, you’ve gotta come in deeper!” Rose called out, not waiting for him to reply as she locked hands with Edna.  
   
Alisha was terribly excited by the entire display, cheering for both sides as they each tried to unbalance the other. In the end though, it was brains that won the day, instead of brawn. Just as Edna had figured out that Rose was ticklish, Sorey managed to swiftly hook his foot behind Zavied’s knee, sending the taller male and his passenger tumbling sideways into the water.  
   
Rose cheered in victory. “Ah ha! Boo-yah!”  
   
Edna surfaces, wiping water from her face as she glares at Rose.  
   
“Don’t look so sour, Edna. It was always gonna end this way. I’ll buy you a new Normin when we get home, ‘kay?”  
   
Edna huffs, but appears appeased for the moment, Rose dismounts from Sorey’s shoulders and happily hi-fives him.  
   
Rose began wading towards the shore, where Dezel was waiting. “Alright, a deal is a deal. Get in the water, Dez!”  
   
“What deal? I didn’t make any de- _get off_!” Dezel’s irritated rebuttal was cut off as Rose jumped on his back, her arms around his neck.  
   
Sorey sidled up next to Mikleo, turning when the pale-haired teen nudged him with his shoulder and started to speak. “You’re going to have to grovel to get back in Edna’s good graces, you know that, right?” His amusement was obvious.  
   
Sorey chuckled and ran a hand through his wet hair. “Yeah, I know. Any ideas?”  
   
“Don’t try cooking anything, that’s my advice.” Mikleo replied with a good-natured snicker.  
   
“You’re no help at all!” Sorey smiled despite himself and splashed Mikleo. “Actually, you did give me an idea.”  
   
Mikleo wiped the water out of his eyes and splashed back, expecting the retaliation, Sorey dived out of the way just in time. Deprived of its intended target, Mikleo’s splash hit Zaveid, who had been standing just behind Sorey.  
   
Zavied turned to grin lazily at Mikleo. “Oh ho, didn’t think you had it in you, Mickey-boy.”  
   
Mikleo was about to explain when Zavied splashed him with such force, he was almost knocked off his feet. In the space of 30 seconds, everyone had joined in, including Rose and Dezel, who had finally been forced into the waist-deep water. Edna retreated on to the shore after a minute or so— _not because she couldn’t hold her own or anything_ —but because too much direct sunlight was bad for a lady’s skin, she claimed. Alisha, who had since taken shelter behind Sergei’s considerable bulk, hurried to accompany her.  
   
The next few hours passed in easy companionship. Several inflatables were produced and by the time the evening rolled around, only Sorey, Rose and Sergei remained in the water. Rose was straddling the large inflatable dolphin Sorey had brought, easily balancing on it as she talked.  
   
“Sergei, serious question for a minute,” She waited until she had Sergei’s attention before continuing. “When are you gonna ask Alisha out? I mean, you totally want to, I can tell.”  
   
Sergei was practically incoherent with embarrassment. Once he was over his own surprise at Rose’s no nonsense approach to the subject, Sorey couldn’t deny he’d been wondering the same thing.  
   
“I-I...A-Alisha is a wonderful girl and I enjoy her company very much a-” Sergei’s stuttering was abruptly silenced by Rose’s finger pointed at his face.  
   
The redhead glanced back at the shore, as if to ensure Alisha wasn’t paying attention to their conversation. “You like her, yes? Then, what gives? You can’t expect her to make the first move, Alisha’s such a wallflower, you’ve gotta be a man and take the initiative!”  
   
Sergei seemed to be considering Rose’s words and Sorey thought he’d have mercy on the other male and try some gentler encouragement.  
   
“You and Alisha _do_ have a lot in common and you’re a really great guy, Sergei.” Sorey said, his eyes flicking over Sergei’s shoulder to watch Mikleo speaking with Alisha, making sure to keep his voice low. “If you’re straight-forward and just tell her how you feel, I don’t think she’ll say no. Alisha appreciates honesty, after all.”  
   
Rose just nodded, giving him a look that told him he’d said the right things, before turning back to observe Sergei’s reaction.Eventually, he seemed to come to a decision.  
   
“You are both correct, I have been acting the coward for too long. If I am ever to consider myself worthy of her esteem, I must gather my courage and tell her about my feelings.”  
   
Sorey and Rose exchanged another look, were about to tell Sergei not to be so hard on himself, it was natural to be nervous about this kind of thing, when Alisha began calling them back to shore.  
   
Rose slapped Sergei on the shoulder. “No time like the present, put your game face on and just do it!”  
   
Sergei nodded stiffly and headed for the beach, leaving Sorey and Rose to follow.  
   
Dismounting the dolphin, Rose just laughed. “He looks like he’s headed for the gallows, jeez.” She stopped and elbowed him softly in the ribs. “They have a lot in common and he should be straightforward, huh?”  
   
Sorey smiled and rubbed at the back of his neck. “Sounds corny, doesn’t it?”  
   
Shaking her head, Rose smiled at him. “Only a little, but that doesn’t make it bad. Couldn’t help noticing though, you weren’t really looking at Sergei when you said it.”  
   
Sorey felt his heartbeat quicken for a moment, turning over the implication of her comment inside his head. Ultimately, he decided there was nothing he could tell her, not until he figured out for himself what it meant, if it meant anything at all.  
   
Eventually, Rose got tired of waiting for him to break the silence and sighed as she waded past him. “Ugh, boys, you’re all hopeless.”  
   
Sorey muttered an apology as he exited the water after her, both of them silently moving to help with the packing up. As his hands moved, Sorey allowed his mind to wander, but he was startled when someone tapped him on the shoulder.  
   
It was Mikleo. “Hey, you seem a little out of it, are you okay?”  
   
Unbidden, his brain supplied him with the memory of his earlier reaction to Mikleo’s appearance and he felt his face burn in a way that had nothing to do with the summer heat. Despite knowing he should try and come up with a convincing excuse, all he could think about was whether Mikleo’s skin was as soft as it looked, he could feel his hands itching with the compulsion to just reach out and touch.  
   
Just then, Mikleo’s expression changed and cool fingers came up to rest against Sorey’s cheek. “Hm, you’re looking a bit sunburned. I’ve got a salve in my bag, when we get back to the inn, you should try it.”  
   
_‘Hurry up and say something, before...’_  
   
“Oi, Sorey! Here’s your goggles, I-” Rose’s voice abruptly rang out, but she stopped when she saw the two of them.  
   
Mikleo snatched his hand back, seemingly embarrassed at his own behaviour, he turned and hurried past Rose, his eyes steadfastly fixed on the sand underneath his feet. Rose watched his retreat with shrewd interest, before facing Sorey, eyebrows raised in an unspoken question. Still able to feel the imprint of Mikleo’s touch on his cheek, Sorey could only shrug his shoulders in response.  
   
“Huh, maybe there’s some hope for you, yet.” With that cryptic statement, Rose tossed his snorkeling mask into his hands and left him to ponder the meaning of her words.  
   
On their way back to the inn for dinner, Sorey and Mikleo ended up walking side by side again. Their conversations were short and awkward, but they both pretended not to notice. After dinner, the atmosphere had eased considerably and upon returning to their assigned room, Sorey was relieved to be able to speak normally with Mikleo.  
   
Thumbing through his copy of The Celestial Record, Sorey was just waiting for Mikleo to finish in the shower, when he finally heard the water shut off. Emerging a small while after, Mikleo had changed into a pair of well-worn white pants and a light blue t-shirt, his short hair still slightly damp. Sorey closed his book and put it on the table beside his bed, heading for the now vacant bathroom.  
   
“Oh, Sorey. Before I forget, here.” Mikleo called out and walked over to press a small round tub of clear-looking gel into his palm. “Put this on after you shower, it’ll help with your sunburn.”  
   
“Thank yo-” Sorey went to say, but Mikleo cut him off.  
   
“D-don’t thank me, just make sure you use it.”  
   
Sorey just nodded, smiling at Mikleo’s obvious shyness when confronted with gratitude. He showered quickly, with the warm humidity hanging in the air, the cold water was a soothing balm against his skin. The gel Mikleo had given him had a very minimal medicinal scent, but it dried quickly once he applied it and he couldn’t help but observe how talented Mikleo was at so many different things.  
   
_‘Cooking, making medicine and he can read the ancient language better than I can, Mikleo’s really amazing...’_  
   
After drying his hair, Sorey hung his towel on the back of the bathroom door and opened the door to head back into the bedroom. He went to return the salve, but stopped when he saw Mikleo. He was already asleep, lying on his side, one arm draped over his stomach and the other resting on the pillow next to his face.  
   
Just as before, he was utterly transfixed. In sleep, Mikleo’s expression was softer, with no traces of the seriousness he carried himself with during the day. Sorey walked as lightly as possible, turning off the light and climbing into bed himself. Not wanting to risk waking Mikleo, Sorey said a quick goodnight in his head before closing his eyes and waiting for sleep to take him as well.    
 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took FOREVERRRRRR~ as someone who doesn't go outside if I have to or really go to the beach, I was running real low on ideas once i got past the initial concept of beach trip chapter (because everything needs a beach episode/chapter). Wanted to use this to develop the relationships with the other characters too, hope it turned out okay xD Wanted this to be a bit longer that the previous chapters too, so that added to the writing time.
> 
> To anyone still reading this, THANK YOUUUUU~ Everyone is so nice here on Ao3 and it seriously helps to keep me going on my fics! i swear I've already got the next chapter more or less ready, so there hopefully shouldn't be another 3 month gap between updates haha
> 
> Thanks again <3


	6. fall

It was their first basketball game of the new school year, the Ladylake Shepherds were leading the Marlind Scholars by four points and there was only two minutes left on the clock.  
  
Sorey just felt the ball leave his hands when a sharp pain exploded in the middle of his chest, he dropped down hard on his back, forcing the air out of his lungs as his head struck the court with enough force to send his ears ringing. His vision was a hazy mess of light and colour and as he struggled to remember how to breathe properly, Sorey could hear what sounded like voices calling his name. Suddenly, his throat burned as everything in his stomach made a violent reappearance, he was only barely able to turn on his side to avoid being sick all over himself. He tried to push himself up into a sitting position, but it felt like the floor was constantly moving beneath him and his limbs wouldn’t do what he wanted. Finally, he blacked out.  
  
  
  
The first thing he was aware of when he came to was the horrible throbbing pain in his skull. He tried to remember what had happened before he passed out, but on top of the pain, his head felt like it was stuffed full of cotton wool. His thoughts seemed to dissolve before he could even finish them, his body felt heavy and warm and try as he might, he couldn’t fight the darkness when it took him under again.  
  
  
  
“Look...him. Sleeping like...baby. The bandage kinda ruins the effect, though.”  
  
Sorey groaned as the darkness receded, voices breaking through the haze of his aching brain.  
  
“Look at that, Sleeping Beauty’s finally awake.” He could hear Zaveid’s wisecracking tone, followed quickly by a pained shout.  
  
Rose was there, too. “Be nice, he’s injured. Sorey, how do you feel?”  
  
Sorey opened his eyes slowly, the bright light of his surroundings both painful and nausea-inducing. Rose and the others were all standing around his bedside, concern evident on their faces. He didn’t open his mouth to speak until he was sure he wasn’t going to be sick.  
  
“What happened? Where am I?” He asked.  
  
“You’re in the hospital.” Alisha.  
  
“That big gorilla on the other team elbowed you in the chest when you took the shot, whacked your head pretty hard when you fell.” Zaveid.  
  
“Got a nasty cut, too. Where your head hit the floor.” Dezel.  
  
“Concussion, most likely. You’ve been unconscious for around 60 minutes.” Rose finished.  
  
Sorey could remember that he’d been at the game, but his recall stopped before the incident they were all describing. Oh well, it’d come back to him eventually. Maybe.  
  
“Ah, sorry for the trouble, everyone. How did the match go afterwards? Did we...?” Rose just shook her head, waving off his apology with a flick of her wrist.  
  
“What are you apologizing for, dummy? You didn’t get yourself concussed on purpose, joke’s on that sore loser anyway, he got fouled and we still kicked their butts in the end. 52 to 60.”  
  
Sorey breathed a sigh of relief, grateful he hadn’t caused them to lose the match. He raised his hand to his hair, rubbing his fingers over the bandage wrapped around his head.  
  
“Man, you missed a hell of a show though, after you passed out.” Rose chuckled, the others all smiling at her words. “Don’t know if I’d have believed it, if I hadn’t seen it myself.”  
  
“Whadya’ mean, what happened after I-” His question was interrupted by Zaveid practically jumping up and down on the spot.  
  
“Can I be the one to tell it? Come on, please!”  
  
Sorey frowned, confused. Tell him what?  
  
Rose shrugged and stepped aside, allowing Zaveid to come closer to the side of the bed. “After checking that you were still breathing, of course, our Mickey-boy went straight up to the guy that took you out and socked him one, right in the teeth!”  
  
Sorey felt his jaw drop, unable to believe what he was being told. Zaveid was pulling his leg, surely? He looked to the others, waiting for them to tell him it was a joke, but they all just nodded.  
  
“It’s true, Sorey. He just walked over and bam. I barely had time to grab him before he just started shouting at the guy.” Rose was smiling, but there was a certain solemness to her tone that drew Sorey’s attention. “Truth be told, I was about one second from punchin’ the creep myself. I think it just caught us all off guard because, well...he’s never let on, y’know, that he had a temper like that.”  
  
“Well, he must have been very worried for Sorey, we all were. Although I will say his choice of words was very...unexpected.” Alisha said, her cheeks reddening slightly.  
  
Their discussion of Mikleo’s apparently rather expansive swear vocabulary was broken by the entrance of a familiar face.  
  
“Ah, Sorey. I’m glad to see you’re awake. How do you feel?” The others parted to make way for her as she approached, her extremely long, pale hair almost touching the floor as she walked. “You gave us all quite a fright.”  
  
“Ah, Lailah! I didn’t know you were back already?”  
  
Lailah was three years older than everyone else in their group of friends, with the exception of Dezel and Zavied, she’d graduated from LHS two years prior and was studying to be a nurse. She’d been doing some sort of internship in Pendrago for the last 12 months, so it had been quite some time since Sorey had seen her.  
  
Lailah smiled. “Yes, I was offered a transfer to Ladylake Hospital and I was feeling quite homesick after a year. It was rather short notice, though, so I’ve hardly had any time to tell anyone yet. Anyway, I'm to understand you took quite a _header_ , Sorey? How do you feel?”  
  
Everyone groaned aloud, clearly Lailah was still very much Lailah, terrible puns and all. Sorey explained that aside from his headache and and his mildly upset stomach, he felt okay.  
  
“That’s good, I’ve spoken to the doctor and they’d like you to remain overnight, just to be safe. If no other symptoms develop, you should be able to _head_ off on the condition that you don’t engage in any strenuous activity for the next few weeks.”  
  
Sorey thanked her and promised he’d do his best to follow the doctor’s advice. Regardless of their lack of enthusiasm for her jokes, she seemed appeased and started to usher everyone out, citing that he needed to rest if he wanted to be released tomorrow.  
  
“Ah, wait a second! Can someone tell Mikleo that I’m okay?” He didn’t want Mikleo to worry about him any more than he had to, even more so now, that he’d heard of his friend’s intense reaction to his injury.  
  
Lailah pushed their friends gently out the door, stopping and turning to him before leaving herself. “He should be in to see you shortly, I insisted he have his hand examined by the doctor as well, before coming here.”  
  
And then, Sorey was left alone. Dropping his head back down on the pillow, he suddenly found the whole encounter had taken more out of him than he realised. His head still ached and his eyelids felt like they were made of lead, keeping them open was proving intensely difficult.  
  
‘ _I need to wait for Mikleo, I need to show him...that I'm...okay...’  
  
_ His eyes closed and the next time he opened them, the room was lit only by the moonlight, streaming in through the open curtains. How much time had passed? It felt like he’d only just closed his eyes for a second, but the sluggishness in his limbs told him he’d been sleeping for a number of hours.  
  
He sat up too fast and had to take several deep breaths to fight back the fresh wave of nausea that threatened to overpower him. It wasn’t until his stomach calmed, that he noticed the form hunched over beside him.  
  
‘ _Mikleo...’  
  
_ Mikleo’s pale skin seemed almost aglow under the white light of the moon, his hair shifting slightly from the gentle breeze coming through the open window. He was fast asleep, his head resting on his arms on the edge of the bed. His left hand was swathed in a fresh, white bandage and while Sorey felt a pang of guilt that Mikleo had injured himself on his account, the brunette wouldn't lie that he also felt a little flattered.  
  
‘ _So pretty.’  
  
_ This time, he couldn’t resist the urge to reach out and brush back a lock of hair that had fallen across Mikleo’s cheek, it felt as soft and sleek as he’d always assumed it would.  
  
This was a slippery slope, his nameless feelings were getting harder and harder to ignore and feeding his questionable impulses with touches like these would only make it worse. He settled back down and just watched, trying to commit every detail of his friend’s sleeping face to memory.  
  
  
  
  
Mikleo was staring at the door to Sorey’s hospital room, waiting for the doctor to give Sorey permission to go home. Embarrassingly, he’d fallen asleep at Sorey’s bedside the previous day and had only left to fetch a clean change of clothes for the other teen. He'd been woken up by Lailah, who had apparently intervened on his behalf to allow him to remain overnight. He'd been grateful, had told her as much, but just as when he'd met her the previous day, he had the impression there was something she wasn't saying. Mikleo couldn't tell if he was just being paranoid, but there'd been something _odd_ in her eyes when she looked at him, but he hadn't been bold enough to just ask her about it.  
  
He was abruptly startled out of his thoughts when he felt a tug on his sleeve, followed by a small voice. “What happened to your hand, mister?”  
  
Mikleo turned to see a small girl had taken the seat next to him, her large green eyes on the bandage on his hand. He judged her to be around 10 years old, at the most. Mikleo squirmed slightly under the child’s innocent scrutiny—he’d never been very good around children—he was too solemn, too serious. Unlike Sorey and Rose, who seemed able to effortlessly adjust their demeanor to act almost like children themselves.  
  
“I...hurt it. When I hit someone yesterday.” The girl looked up at him, her expression curious; his clipped tone apparently doing nothing to deter her interest.  
  
Another question. “Why did you do that?”  
  
Mikleo frowned as the memory flashed through his mind. The bastard jamming his elbow into Sorey’s chest, Sorey falling and not getting back up, followed by the harsh scream of the time-out whistle. The panic that had suddenly filled every single cell in his body and then the all-consuming anger when the guy had the nerve to say that he “only gave him a little love-tap”. As the old adage went; he’d seen red.  
  
“I was very upset. This person hurt somebody who is very precious to me.” He was relieved that Sorey didn’t seem to be too badly hurt, but all the same, the whole incident had made a mess of Mikleo’s emotions. “He’s going to be alright, but I’m going to stay with him until he’s better. Sorey’s smart, but he's got no impulse control and he forgets to take care of himself because he’s too busy putting everyone else first. I admire the way he is, but it makes me worry about him a lot, too.”  
  
“You’re smiling, that means you like him a lot, right?”  
  
Mikleo froze, his mind turning over the implication of that guileless question. He was about to deny it, they were just friends, that’s all, but when he opened his mouth nothing came out.  
  
“I...I think I do.” When he finally said those words out loud, it was like the weight inside his chest lessened slightly.  
  
If he could at least admit his feelings to one other person, even if that person was just this small child, then maybe it wouldn’t be so hard to hide in front of Sorey.  
  
“No, I know I-” He forced a smile, unable to make himself say the “L-word” in the end, as he placed his uninjured hand over hers. “I know I like him, but it has to be a secret, okay? I’m not ready to tell him, yet.”  
  
‘ _I’m not ready to hear that he doesn’t feel the same...’_  
  
The girl smiled back at him, in that pure, uncorrupted way that reminded him all too much of a certain person. She moved to stand upright on the chair and threw her arms around his neck.  
  
“I promise I won’t tell.” She whispered conspiratorially into his ear.  
  
Mikleo wasn’t sure quite how to react, eventually the little girl let go, jumping down from the chair. She waved at him before running over to a nurse who was waiting patiently on the other side of the room. Embarrassed at having been observed the entire time, Mikleo felt his face burn, but all those thoughts were quickly forgotten when Sorey practically bounced out from the opposite room.  
  
“I got the all-clear, sorry to make you wait for me, Mikleo!”  
  
The doctor followed Sorey out of the room and gave an exasperated sigh. “You’re clear to be released, but I hope you’ll follow my instructions about not overexerting yourself in the next few weeks, young man. Head injuries can be unpredictable and the utmost caution should be used in the aftermath to prevent any additional symptoms from developing. You’re as fit and healthy as a boy your age could be, but that’s not something you should take for granted in this situation.”  
  
Mikleo told the doctor that he’d be staying with Sorey and would make sure the brunette rested sufficiently until his injuries healed.  
  
“But Mikleo, you don’t ha-” Sorey started to argue, but Mikleo just reached out with a hand and covered his mouth.  
  
“Don’t bother telling me I don’t have to, I know you, Sorey. If someone isn’t around to keep an eye on you, you’ll land yourself right back here within the week.” Mikleo gave him a look, daring him to disagree with that assertion. “It’ll be dark soon, we should get going.”  
  
Sorey nodded, thanked the doctor once Mikleo had taken his hand off his mouth and followed the pale-haired boy as they left the hospital.  
  
“Thank you, Mikleo.” Sorey said, as they were about halfway home. “For worrying about me and stuff.”  
  
Mikleo turned his head slightly so Sorey couldn’t see his face.  
  
“It’s no problem, you don’t have to thank me. Anyway, your head still hurts, doesn’t it?” He looked back at Sorey for an answer, the green-eyed boy smiled sheepishly and ran a hand through his hair.  
  
“Ah, can’t hide anything from you, can I? Yeah, it hurts a bit. The doctor said I’ll probably have headaches for a while, a few other things too.” Sorey’s tone was light, but Mikleo could hear the guilt in his voice. “I feel like such a pain, I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”  
  
Mikleo huffed and poked him in the stomach, taking that as a challenge, Sorey began trying to tickle him mercilessly. Mikleo was busy trying to fight him off when the taller boy began to sway on the spot, before half-collapsing against him.  
  
“Sorey?!” Mikleo immediately wrapped his arms around Sorey’s back, in an attempt to keep him upright. “Sorey, can you hear me? Say something!”  
  
His heart skipped a beat as one of Sorey’s hands came up to rest on Mikleo’s hip, giving what he interpreted as a small squeeze of reassurance.  
  
“S-sorry Mikleo, I just got...really dizzy for a moment. I think I’ll be alright in a minute, I’m not too heavy, am I?”  
  
Mikleo could have swatted him, worrying about other people at a time like this. He felt his face heating up when he realized how intimate their current position was. His traitorous brain supplying him with thoughts of how warm Sorey was, pressed up against him, or how easy it actually was for Mikleo to hold him up, because their bodies seemed to fit comfortably together in all the right places.  
  
“Don’t worry about that now, just...focus on getting yourself standing again.” He forced out, willing his voice not to give away how flustered he was.  
  
They remained that way for what felt like both the longest and the shortest minute of Mikleo’s life. When Sorey began to pull away, he had to fight not to hold on. He settled for pulling the other boy’s arm over his shoulders.  
  
“Just in case.” Mikleo said quickly.  
  
Sorey just nodded, a familiar smile on his face, as they continued on towards Sorey’s house.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahahahaha i know nothing about basketball so forgive me if none of that part makes any sense xD I only played volleyball in high school so i only know squat about that and aussie rules football! I did a bit of googling on concussions so i hope some of what I wrote for that doesn't sound like complete bullshit either :)
> 
> anyway, thanks for reading my fic this far in and I hope I can keep this going for all of you <3


	7. apotheosis

“Mikleo, over here!” Sorey called out as Mikleo's class finished up in the Home Economics room and was let out for lunch.  
  
The pale-haired teen spotted him almost immediately, half-raising a hand in greeting as he made his way over. Mikleo had been flustered at first, when Sorey started coming to meet him after class, Sorey would reason that he had a free period anyway and eventually, Mikleo seemed to accept that he couldn't be dissuaded in this particular endeavor.  
  
Over a week had passed since Sorey's concussion and Mikleo had begun essentially living with him, saying that Sorey needed to be supervised to make sure he didn't end up back in the hospital. It had taken a few days to get used to the constant company, but Sorey would be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying every minute of it.  
  
Mikleo had fussed over him for the first couple of days, insisting that Sorey stay home from school and rest, saying he would speak to their teachers and pick up any school work he would be missing. Sorey would have argued harder, but he'd been so tired, even though he'd had a proper night's sleep and the painkillers they'd given him for his headaches had left him feeling groggy and lethargic. In the end, Mikleo had won, leaving him lying on the couch with a tea towel full of ice pressed against his forehead, with the promise of making ice cream in the evening, if Sorey was still there when Mikleo got home.  
  
Sorey considered that night as one of his all-time favourite memories. Mikleo's hand hadn't healed sufficiently for him to whisk the mixture without causing himself pain, so they'd worked together to get everything done. Sorey had performed the more physical steps, following Mikleo's strict instructions and then, had simply watched comfortably as the other handled the more delicate aspects of the recipe. Leaving it to freeze overnight, they'd settled on a movie that had been playing on the television and ended up debating all of the historical inaccuracies in it, before heading to bed.  
  
Every day since then, they'd walked to and from school together, eaten all their meals together, done their homework together and everything in between. It was a little surprising to realise how much of the same stuff they'd done, even before they'd been temporarily sharing a living space.  
  
He couldn't oversleep anymore, because Mikleo was relentless in the morning, threatening to douse him in cold water if he didn't get up fast enough. Even when he was frowning and clicking his tongue at Sorey's sluggishness, the brunette was quite happy to have Mikleo's face be the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes in the morning.  
  
“Here, this is for you.” Mikleo said as he held something out in front of him.  
  
Sorey took the small plastic cup from Mikleo and upon peeling back the lid, he detected the strong, sweet smell of fruit. “Thanks, what is it?”  
  
“Our practical assignment was to finish the raspberry mousse we started yesterday, I'm not a huge fan of raspberries, so you can have what I made.” Mikleo explained as they started walking.  
  
Sorey made a sound of excitement, Mikleo was an excellent cook, but without a doubt, his best creations were his chilled desserts.  
  
“Let me guess, you still got the best mark in the class, right?” Sorey teased as he scooped some of the dessert onto his finger and brought it to his mouth. “Mm, so good!” __  
  
Mikleo coughed and out of the corner of his eye, Sorey could see a light blush colouring his best friend's cheeks. Not for the first time, Sorey found himself admiring the way Mikleo's school uniform hugged him in all the right places, from the way the blazer accentuated the subtle curve of his slender waist, to the long length of his legs as shown by the perfectly pressed lines of his trousers.  
  
“Sorey?”  
  
Sorey raised his head to find Mikleo looking at him expectantly, how long had he been spacing out?  
  
“S-Sorry, what were you saying?” He hoped his staring hadn't been too blatant. “I was just thinking...about how this must be what heaven tastes like. It's really, really good, Mikleo.”  
  
He'd officially accepted that he had a...a crush on his best friend. There, he could be mature and admit it, he liked Mikleo as a little bit more than a friend. The problem lay in what to do with this new information and more importantly, did he even want to do anything with it?  
  
Mikleo eyed him suspiciously, but didn't say anything about his behaviour. “I was saying, we need to stop by the supermarket after school, I checked last night and if you want me to make vanilla ice cream later, I need to get some vanilla beans.”  
  
Sorey just nodded, he wasn't very good at keeping track of what was and wasn't in the kitchen at home, so he'd take Mikleo's word for it if he said they needed something. It really was...nice having Mikleo staying with him, he'd be a little sad when he was cleared of any side effects from his basketball injury and Mikleo went back to his own house.  
  
_'You could ask him to stay with you.'_  
  
Sorey almost shook his head at the thought, but restrained himself for fear of attracting Mikleo's scrutiny again. His only strategy, if confronted, was evasion, since he couldn't lie his way out of a paper bag and that tactic would only work for so long against the same person. It was better for things to just stay as they were. Mikleo was his best friend, he didn't want to jeopardize that and besides, he was happy with Mikleo just being with him. What was it Gramps used to say to him? Don't fix it, if it isn't broken?  
  
“ Are you going to the music room today?” Sorey asked, after another mouthful of mousse.  
  
“That's the plan, I suppose you'll be coming to watch me, since you're not allowed to go to basketball practice.” Mikleo replied.  
  
Sorey loved watching Mikleo play, being able to watch him over the last week or so, almost made him forget about what he missing out on. “Of course, I mean, if it's still okay with you. If I'm distracting or anything, I can always go straight home.”  
  
“No, I-I don't mind,” Mikleo stuttered slightly before clearing his throat and refusing to meet Sorey's eyes. “It's actually quite enjoyable...playing for you. Even if I haven't exactly been at my best, with my hand still being a little sore, it's nice having such an enthusiastic audience. To be honest, I'll probably miss having you there when you return to your basketball practices.”  
  
This small admission sets off a fluttering in Sorey's stomach and for a moment, he actually had to bite his own tongue to stop himself from saying anything stupid like _he'd totally quit basketball if it means he can watch Mikleo play the piano for the rest of the year_. He knows Mikleo wouldn't want that, since he knows how much the sport means to Sorey and if he even got wind that Sorey was thinking of doing such a thing, he'd be livid. Mikleo was small, but by no means was he a pushover. It was one of the things Sorey loved the most about his best friend, that _fire_ that just lit his eyes from within, when he was passionate about something.  
  
“You know what I'll miss?” Sorey said as they sat down in their usual spot in the school's open courtyard, to wait for their friends. “These awesome lunches you've been making for me, I know you've been trying to teach me, but nothing comes close to your food, Mikleo!”  
  
At this point, Sorey can practically see the steam coming out of Mikleo's ears, he's blushing all the way to the tips of his ears and it's only the arrival of Rose and Dezel that saves him from having to react further. Of course, the first thing Rose does is ask what has Mikleo so worked up and while the other is distracted by her teasing, Sorey finds himself watching the changes in Mikleo's expressions for just a moment longer than he should. He lets himself have this much, when Mikleo isn't looking, this much is safe, right?  
  
  
  
  
It's almost 6pm when they finish up at school and by the time they've walked to the supermarket, the sun has set and the street lamps have activated to light the streets.  
  
Having left Sorey to browse the snacks aisle, Mikleo sets about searching the baking section for the item he needs for his desserts.  
  
“ Ah, vanilla beans, here they are.” He muses aloud.  
  
He takes a moment to inspect the different brands and prices, when someone speaks from behind him.  
  
“Hey, hey, that's _some_ hair you've got going on there?”  
  
Mikleo ignores it, at first, thinking that if he ignores them, they'll go away. Suddenly there's an unfamiliar hand on his shoulder and he reacts immediately. He spins around to find two older-looking guys standing behind him, much too close for his comfort. The one who has touched him has short, dirty blonde hair and dark-grey eyes, while his companion is brown-eyed with shoulder-length black hair. Mikleo feels barely concealed disgust welling up inside him at their indiscreet leering.  
  
“ Excuse me?” He says, opting for cool detachment.  
  
Stranger #2 takes a step forward, pressing Mikleo back against the shelving as he stares lecherously down at him. “No need to be so cold, how about my friend and I walk you home?”  
  
_'Really? That's what they've bothered me for?'_  
  
Mikleo would like to say this is the first time he's been propositioned in public, but it's not, his obvious youth is apparently not a deterrent. “Not interested, thanks.”  
  
He expects the creeper to take his hand away, when he doesn't, Mikleo feels the first traces of unease begin to settle in his stomach.  
  
What was it Edna had told him he should do in this situation? While everyone else had been checking on Sorey, following his concussion, Edna had come with Mikleo while he'd been getting his hand taken care of. Perhaps, she'd restrained herself out of consideration for his rocky emotional state at the time, but they'd ended up actually having a few rather civil conversations, as he'd waited for the doctor. He remembered being surprised, when she'd offered genuinely helpful advice for once, instead of her usual sarcastic taunts.  
  
“H-Hey, take your hands off me!” He exclaimed, when the hand on his shoulder moved to grasp his waist. “I'll have you know I'm already seeing somebody, alright?!”  
  
“ Mikleo?”  
  
Mikleo turned his head to see Sorey standing at the end of the aisle, his facial expression a mix of confusion, concern and something else he doesn't recognize. Mikleo's outburst and Sorey's appearance seemed to have given his harassers pause, so the pale-haired teen took the chance to push his way past the two strangers and head for the exit.  
  
“Let's go, they didn't have what I was looking for.” Without thinking, Mikleo grabbed Sorey's hand and pulled him along beside him.  
  
Thankfully, the brunette doesn't demand an explanation from him and it isn't until they've been walking for over 10 minutes, that Mikleo realises he's still holding tightly to Sorey's hand. For a brief, insane moment, he actually asks himself, would it be so bad if he just... _didn't let go?_ Sorey didn't seem to mind, but Mikleo's self-consciousness wins out in the end and he pulls back with a hastily muttered apology.  
  
Sorey laughs it off, but his next words are tinged with worry. “It's fine, are you okay, though?”  
  
“I'm fine, used to it, really. To perverts, I must seem quite exotic. If I was smart, I'd dye my hair and wear contacts.” Mikleo said bitterly, reaching up to brush some hair behind his ear.  
  
“ I think you're beautiful, just the way you are.” Sorey had intended for it to be a private thought, but it was out of his mouth before he could stop it, so firmly did he hold this belief in his heart.  
  
They'd finally reached the street out the front of Sorey's house and at his comment, Mikleo went absolutely still. For once, he seemed too surprised to even be embarrassed, his mouth opening and closing, like a fish out of water.  
  
“Mikleo, let me explain, I-” Sorey stepped towards him, desperately trying to think of a way to cover up his unintentional admission as something that was totally-not-a-love-confession-or-anything, but he didn't get the chance.  
  
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”  
  
Sorey almost had a heart attack when his front door was thrown open and all their friends leapt out, confetti showering down from god knows where. His worries briefly forgotten, he is swept along by the excitement as Rose and Zaveid haul him bodily into the living room. With the events of the last few weeks and Mikleo's near-constant presence, he'd honestly forgotten all about his 17th birthday.  
  
“We had to plan pretty hard to make this a surprise. Not gonna lie, Mikleo did most of it!” Rose laughed as she stuck a party hat on Sorey's head.  
  
“I had to think fast this afternoon, they needed time to set all this up and bring over the cake I prepared at Alisha's earlier in the week, I'm just glad it all worked out.” Mikleo said with a relieved smile, all traces of his reaction to Sorey's earlier words expertly hidden.  
  
They all crowd around as he opens their birthday presents for him. From Edna: a new pair of headphones, decorated with the mascot character Sorey knows she is fond of. From Zaveid: a how-to book on flirting (among other things), along with an offer to explain anything in it that he doesn’t understand. From Rose and Dezel: a year-long subscription to an archaeology magazine that Sorey loves. From Lailah: a small, surprisingly-detailed replica statuette of Pendrago's Shrinechurch. From Alisha: a book on the historical architecture of Ladylake. Lastly, Mikleo’s present to him is an enormous vanilla ice cream cake.  
  
While they're eating, Sorey prompts Lailah to tell them all about the year she spent in Pendrago. She agrees and manages to only tell four terrible jokes, which is an incredible amount of restraint for her, if they're all being honest. In the blink of eye, three hours pass and they are only able to eat about half of the cake between the eight of them, so the rest is packed away for later.  
  
  
  
It is almost 10pm by the time everyone agrees it’s time to call it a night. Rose asks Sorey to walk outside with her as she’s leaving, when he follows her, she pulls him aside and her facial expression turns serious.  
  
“You’ve been weird tonight, like not-quite yourself. What’s wrong?” Her tone makes it clear that she won’t accept anything less than the truth from him.  
  
He hesitates, but then the entire story of what happened while he’d been out with Mikleo spills out of him.  
  
“...and I heard him say he’s seeing someone. I was surprised, y’know, because he never said anything to me about it and I-” His words trail off when Rose begins to laugh. “What’s so funny?”  
  
Rose holds up a hand in apology as she gradually regains her composure.  
  
“You’re such a doofus, look at you, gettin’ all worked up over nothing.” Sorey is confused and Rose puts a compassionate hand on his shoulder. “Mikleo’s still as single as water is wet, dummy, he probably said that so those idiots would stop trying to hit on him. I used to do the same thing when guys would try to pick me up in random places. Perverts give up quicker if they think you’re already taken, instead of just not interested, see?”  
  
The sheer relief that he feels is almost enough to send him to his knees, but Rose isn’t done.  
  
“Don’t get comfortable, just yet. This time was just a misunderstanding, but if you keep twiddlin’ your thumbs, next time, it won’t be.” He’s about to ask what she means, but her hand covers his mouth. “Just shut up and listen. We all know how you feel about him, a blind man could see it, heck, a blind man _has_ seen it, but even after all this time, you still haven’t done anything about it. Why not?”  
  
She pulls her hand away to allow him to answer, but it takes him a moment, he’s still trying to process that he hasn’t been able to hide his feelings as well as he’d hoped. If Rose had noticed, maybe Mikleo had too? Maybe, he hadn’t said anything because he really didn’t feel the same and didn’t want to hurt Sorey’s feelings by having to reject him.  
  
“ I...I’m scared, Rose.” His voice shakes as he finally confesses for the first time. “I’m scared of what’ll happen if _I do_ tell him I love him. What if he doesn’t love me back? What if it makes things weird between us and our friendship is ruined because of it? What i-”  
  
“ What if he _does_ and you’re both just too wrapped up in your own denial to see it?” Rose steps close and takes his face in her hands, her eyes locked with his. “Did you ever think that he could be just as scared as you and that you’re both just goin’ in a damn circle?”  
  
He admits the thought never crossed his mind, so sure was he that there was no way someone like Mikleo could ever fall for someone like him. Mikleo was wonderful and talented and smart and...he could do much better than Sorey.  
  
“ You’ve wasted enough time doubting and worrying, just tell him.” Rose releases him and turns to catch up with Dezel who is waiting out on the street. “Tell him or I will. G’night.”  
  
He remains outside for a minute or two, going over Rose’s advice and her sudden ultimatum, until Mikleo calls him back inside.  
  
‘ _This is it, then...it’s now or never. Do or die. Put up or shut up. Oh god, what am I gonna say?!’_  
  
Sorey shuts the door behind him and follows Mikleo’s voice back to the living room, the room is clean, all traces of the party have been cleared away. He finds Mikleo leaning against the arm of the couch and he's changed out of his school uniform, his current outfit consisting of a baby blue sweater and a well-worn pair of white trousers. He waits until Sorey approaches, standing and pressing something into Sorey’s hands.  
  
“ Huh? What’s this?” He looks down at the small box Mikleo has given him.  
  
“It’s your _real_ present.” A very noticeable flush colours his normally pale skin and he seems to have trouble keeping eye contact with Sorey. “I didn’t tell the others about it because they’d make me show them what it was and I...”  
  
Mikleo hesitates and Sorey swears he can hear his own erratic heartbeat in his ears, he half wonders how Mikleo can’t hear it as well.  
  
“...I wanted you to see it first. Open it.”  
  
Sorey takes the lid off the box and his eyes widen. It’s a simple pair of silver ear cuffs, each adorned with two golden feathers.  
  
“ These are Elysalark feathers, they only nest high up in the mountains, where on Earth did you get these?” He says in wonder as he runs a finger over the soft surface of the feathers.  
  
“I found them in my mother’s things years ago, I noticed you had the same feathers on the accessory on your wrist and I had the idea to make something that could match it.” Mikleo explains. “I had to look up a ton of books on jewellery making and there's only one place in Ladylake that sells the parts I needed, but I managed to get them finished and presentable in time.”  
  
Sorey removes them carefully from the padding inside the box and affixes them to his ears, turning back to Mikleo for inspection.  
  
“What do you think?” He asks jokingly.  
  
Mikleo smiled, his eyes glittering in the soft lamp light and Sorey feels his heartbeat quicken.  
  
“They suit you perfectly. I’m glad.”  
  
This is it. This is the moment. He has to do it now.  
  
“Happy birthday, Sorey.”  
  
Sorey raises his hand to rest against Mikleo’s cheek, his opposite hand slipping around the other’s waist to apply a gentle push against his lower back. Mikleo shifts forward, his hands coming up to brace himself against Sorey’s chest, as their lips finally meet.  
  
_Their first kiss._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back at work now, so future chapters might be a little bit slow because I'm already tired all the time again xD plus i'm doing extra shifts at another store that's pretty far away as a favour for a manager who is a friend of mine, so just a warning!
> 
> and woo it only took 7 chapters but the nerds finally kissed! hope it was worth the wait :) and thanks again to everyone for sticking with the fic for this long <3 ilu all


	8. misunderstanding

 

Their first kiss.  
  
Mikleo has never given any thought to what it must be like to be kissed, he'd read about it in a few books, when adolescent curiosity had briefly gotten the better of him and he'd failed to see what all the fuss was about. Frankly, it sounded messy, awkward and not worth the effort. In hindsight, the books he'd referenced probably hadn't been the most reliable sources and his mind had likely lacked the maturity to properly comprehend the action.  
  
Sorey's lips were warm and soft, if a little dry. Mikleo barely has time for that thought to form though, because as quickly as the contact was initiated, Sorey pulls back.  
  
The brunette can feel his heart hammering like a drum and he wonders, briefly, if Mikleo can feel it through the layers of his uniform. Mikleo's eyes dart nervously back and forth, landing on his face for only a second, before flitting away again, but at the same time, he doesn’t make any moves to break away from Sorey either. The tiny light within his chest burns a little brighter, it means something, that Mikleo hasn’t pushed him away.  
  
“W-why?” Sorey only _just_ hears it when the other finally speaks. “Is this a joke? Did Zavied or one of the others put you up to it?”  
  
Mikleo was aware of the interest fostered by his slightly uncommon physical features, combined with his small stature and his overtly feminine build, but he'd always made it clear he wasn't interested in being anyone's cheap conquest or tawdry trinket. Sorey had never seemed the type to approach someone based on their looks, anyway, so why?  
  
“What? No! I would never do something like this as a joke, why would you even think that?”  
  
Mikleo feels his frustration boil over, his hands twisting in the front of Sorey's beige cardigan. “I don't know what to think and I don't like it, I don't understand why you would kiss me, you don't even... _like me like that_.”  
  
Sorey smiles, willing himself to finally, _finally_ say the words he’s wanted to say for so long. “I love you, Mikleo.”  
  
Mikleo’s head snapped up, his eyes wide and searching, as if he’s looking for any trace that what Sorey has just said is a lie. Every second that goes by that Mikleo isn't rejecting him, the hope that his feelings might just be returned, is growing.  
  
“I love you and I want to be with you and I'd be really happy, if there was any chance that you...maybe, um, liked me too?”  
  
Mikleo has spent so long convincing himself that there was no way that Sorey could ever feel the same way he did, he almost wants to pinch himself, just to be sure he isn't dreaming. Mikleo can feel Sorey watching him, waiting for an answer and when he tries to speak, his whole body starts to tremble. It should be easy, telling Sorey that he's fallen for him too, but for some reason, he's completely paralyzed. It's terrifying, the idea of giving another person so much power over him, even if he knows Sorey would never abuse that trust, the mere concept is a cold fist around his rapidly beating heart.  
  
' _What's wrong with me, this is Sorey! This is what I've wanted for so long, why can't I say it? I'm s-'_  
  
“Mikleo?” Sorey looks worried and uncertainty is a growing presence in his eyes.  
  
“I...want to be with Sorey, t-too.” His voice is barely a whisper, but it's an answer and Sorey's reaction is almost instantaneous. He wraps his arms around Mikleo's hips and lifts him into the air, spinning in place and laughing as Mikleo clings to his shoulders. “S-Sorey, what are doing?! Put me down!”  
  
“Ha ha ha, no way, you're stuck with me now! I'm never letting you go!” Sorey responds, still laughing.  
  
It's always been hard to maintain any kind of irritation or sour mood with Sorey around and Mikleo is starting to feel a little giddy himself. He wants to throw sensibility to wind and say it's because he's happy, but the practical part of his mind won't be silenced, suggesting it could just be a mild sense of euphoria brought on by all the blood surely rushing to his head. Regardless of the reason, soon enough, they're both laughing together. __  
  
Eventually, they're too dizzy to continue and when he's set back on his own two feet, Mikleo has to hold on to Sorey for support, not trusting his legs to keep him upright otherwise. The brunette lifts a finger to his chin, gently tipping Mikleo's head back before he leans down to kiss him again.  
  
Gradually, Sorey feels any leftover tension in Mikleo’s body melt away, arms sliding up over his shoulders to wrap around his neck. Sorey, emboldened by the response, nips provocatively at Mikleo’s bottom lip, asking for permission. Mikleo freezes up at first, but then tentatively opens his mouth, something between a moan and a whimper escaping him as Sorey’s tongue slips in to caress his own.  
  
Mikleo tastes of fresh water; clean and pure.  
  
If Sorey wasn’t so completely absorbed in the current goings-on, he’d probably laugh at how fitting that was.  
  
When the need for air finally forces them apart, they're both breathing heavily and their faces are flushed from the exertion.  
  
It is Mikleo who speaks first. “It’s late, we should...” He pauses, as if considering the appropriate words to use. “...finish talking tomorrow.”  
  
Sorey chuckled, knowing talking wasn’t much on either of their minds right now, but he got the message loud and clear. He couldn’t deny that he wanted to continue, but he wouldn’t take any more than Mikleo was willing to give. Plus, now that they'd gotten their feelings out in the open, they had all the time in the world, right?  
  
Mikleo removed his arms from around Sorey’s neck, mumbling a quick goodnight before practically fleeing from the room. Sorey felt himself deflate a little, he told himself it was only natural after doing what they did that there would be some...initial awkwardness.  
  
Now that there’s nothing else distracting him, he’s all at once aware of how exhausted he feels. It’s been a busy day and he can practically hear the mattress calling his name. He switches off the remaining lights and heads for bed.  
  
He’s just on the precipice of falling completely asleep when he hears what sounds like footsteps, he doesn’t think anything of it until the mattress dips at his back and a hand gingerly touches on his shoulder.  
  
“Sorey,” His conscious mind rises back to awareness at the sound of Mikleo’s voice. “Are you awake?”  
  
“Mmm...yeah...s’everything okay?” He asks sleepily, pushing himself up into a sitting position.  
  
In the darkness, he can just make out Mikleo nodding his head. Sorey has a curious thought, he almost dismisses it, but decides he has nothing to lose by pursuing it. He reaches out, patting around until he finds Mikleo’s hand where it rests atop the sheets; lacing their fingers together in a relaxed motion.  
  
“Stay.” Sorey says softly, knowing that Mikleo, normally so reserved by nature, struggles to enunciate his feelings and intentions at times.  
  
Hoping he’s read the situation correctly, Sorey shifts over to the other side of the bed and without a word, Mikleo slips under the covers beside him. The only point of contact between them was their still conjoined hands. It only takes a few minutes for Mikleo’s breathing to soften and slow with sleep.  
  
“Goodnight, Mikleo.” Sorey whispers as his own eyes close and the exhaustion of the day pulls him under as well.  
  
  
  
  
  
Sorey wakes eventually but doesn’t attempt to move, he’s well-rested and comfortable, except for one thing.  
  
‘ _My arm is kinda numb, must have been sleepin’ on it all night.’_  
  
Cracking his eyes open a fraction, the memories of the previous night crash to the forefront of his mind as familiar snowy-white hair fills his vision.  
  
‘ _Mikleo...’_  
  
They’ve both changed positions in the night, curling against one another. Mikleo’s back is against Sorey’s chest and his head is resting on Sorey’s right arm, Sorey’s other arm is draped over Mikleo’s waist and their legs are tangled together beneath the sheet.  
  
‘ _Close...so close...’_  
  
His eyes wander to fix on the pale skin of Mikleo’s neck, the loose shirt he’d worn to bed pulling down to expose the smooth, creamy skin of his nape. Without waiting for his brain to weigh-in on the impulse, he pressed his lips to the spot where Mikleo’s hair just brushes the back of his neck.  
  
“Mmm...” Mikleo hums a little in his sleep, but doesn’t wake up.  
  
Sorey wonders briefly what the time is, if he turns his head, he can see sunlight creeping in through the gap in the curtains on the other side of the room, but he doesn’t want to sit up and disturb Mikleo. In the end, he decides it doesn’t really matter. They don’t have school or any other plans today, so for now, he’s content to just stay like this.  
  
Suddenly Mikleo shifts, rolling over and Sorey sucks in a breath as he registers the slide of bare skin against his thigh. Staring pointedly at Mikleo’s eyelashes, Sorey attempts to focus his mind on anything but the warm pressure of Mikleo’s leg between his, but now that he’s aware of the contact, it’s all he can think about. He hadn't been able to see, given the darkness of his bedroom last night, but he deduces Mikleo must have changed before coming to see him. The only other time he has seen Mikleo in shorts, was their trip to the beach at the end of the previous year and _oh god_ , that was a sight that was permanently burned into his retinas. With that potent memory fresh in his mind and his current train of thought, Sorey goes stone-still as he becomes aware of another 'movement' between his legs.  
  
_'Oh no, oh no, no, no, no, no, this cannot be happening! Not now?!'_  
  
Try as he might, it becomes clear there's no negotiating with his hormones and he's left to pray to every higher power in the universe that Mikleo remains asleep. He's a perfectly healthy teenage boy, it's not like this is his first time waking up and finding himself a little...excited, he's been dealing with it since he first hit puberty. Although, on none of those occasions did he ever have to worry about the presence of another person in his bed, let alone the presence of the one person he would really, really like to start a proper relationship with.  
  
_'Okay, I can do this, I just need to get out of bed and have a nice, long, very cold shower. Easy enough, come on, move, move, move.'_  
  
One thing was in his favour, at least, his back was to the open side of the bed, so he didn't have to worry about trying to climb over Mikleo to get to the door. Sorey's biggest obstacle, which in any other situation would never be considered a bad thing, was getting his arm out from beneath Mikleo's head without waking him.  
  
He decided to start with the easiest part, slowly shifting his legs and lower body back towards the edge of the mattress, he had to suck in a breath as the movement caused the fabric of his sleeping shorts to rub against the sensitive head of his erection. What on Earth did he do to deserve this, really?  
  
Now, comes the hard part, no pun intended. An idea strikes him, he lifts his arm from Mikleo's waist and brushes the side of the other's neck with his fingertips.  
  
_'Ah!'_  
  
Mikleo's shoulder twitches in response, but he doesn't wake up. Sorey tries again, slower this time, drawing his fingers upwards and over Mikleo's jawline. Finally, Mikleo reacts, turning his head towards the sensation and bringing his shoulder up to press against his cheek. Sorey takes his chance, as soon as he feels Mikleo lift his head, he's moving away and pulling his arm free. At the complete loss of physical contact, the pale-haired teen makes a small sound of dissatisfaction and rolls over, pulling the blankets more firmly around himself.  
  
Now that he's able, Sorey wants to sprint for the safety of the bathroom, but he still has to get out of bed without being caught. It takes every ounce of his self-control to ignore the throbbing ache in his groin, as he inches back towards the edge of his bed. With a soft sigh of pure relief, Sorey pushes his legs out into the open air, sliding out of bed and into a silent crouch on the floor. He feels a little silly, creeping around in his own house, but at the same time, there is no way he can let Mikleo see him like this, so creeping it is.  
  
Once he's safely out of his bedroom, he grabs two fresh towels from the closet in the hallway before practically running for the shower. He didn't even bother removing his clothes, as soon as he closed the door, Sorey jumped straight into the cubicle and turned the cold water on himself. Leaning against the tiles, he began to count to 100, and waited.  
  
_'1...2...3...4...'_

 

 

20 minutes later, with his body firmly back under control, Sorey wrapped a towel around his waist and headed back to his bedroom. He didn't need to open the door to know Mikleo was no longer in bed, the smell of cooking food wafting through the entire house is enough to tell him that his room would be empty. He dressed in a comfortable pair of dark pants and an old black T-shirt, his stomach started growling at the smell of breakfast and he made his way towards the kitchen.  
  
Sorey stopped in the doorway, Mikleo was standing at the stove, poking at something in the frying pan with the spatula as he hummed to himself, Sorey recognized the tune as one of the piano pieces he's heard Mikleo play a number of times. The toaster is out on the counter and beside it is a plate, upon which sits several slices of toast, cut into neat triangles. The pale-haired boy is dressed only in a blue, long-sleeved button-up shirt and a navy blue pair of shorts, the shirt is obviously two or three sizes too large, as it hangs almost halfway to Mikleo's thighs and the cuffs are bunched at his wrists. It's such a startlingly domestic scene, Sorey can't help but lean against the door frame and just watch.  
  
Mikleo doesn't notice him for several seconds, until he steps away from the stove to take some plates from one of the lower cupboards, standing and turning around to place them on the small dining table in the corner of the kitchen. He lets out a shriek of surprise when he sees Sorey standing there, jumping back against the counter and the plates fall from his hands, smashing in a cacophony of sound when they hit the floor. Sorey is already moving to apologize for scaring him, Mikleo is almost beside himself with the situation and Sorey barely stops him from stepping barefoot into the broken porcelain, in his frantic rush to clean up the mess.  
  
“Sorey, oh god, I just...and you...I didn't mean t-”  
  
He snagged Mikleo around the waist just in time, pulling him back against his chest. “Slow down, you're not wearing shoes, remember?”  
  
“Oh. I-I forgot...thank you.” It wasn't like Mikleo to be so absent-minded in the morning, it had Sorey a little concerned, if he was being honest.  
  
“I'll clean it up, you keep an eye on the stove, okay? Don't want the food to burn.” He suggested, trying to keep his tone light.  
  
Mikleo didn't argue, only nodded as he was released and Sorey went and got the broom from the laundry. In the meantime, Mikleo had set out two more plates and was putting the toaster back in the cupboard. By the time Sorey had finished sweeping up the broken plates, taking care not to miss any minuscule stray shards, Mikleo had switched off the stove and was busy plating up an impressive serving of scrambled eggs.  
  
Only minutes ago, he'd been rather hungry and eager to eat, but Sorey's appetite had disappeared under the realization that Mikleo was subtly attempting to avoid any contact with him, as much as one can when you're stuck in the same room, anyhow.  
  
Over the last week, Sorey had gotten so used to the casual physical intimacy that had become a large part of their friendship. Hands brushing when they both reached for the same item, a finger jabbed playfully into his ribs during a debate, an accidental bump of their shoulders as they attempted to move around each other in a cramped space, so many small touches that had come to mean so much to him.  
  
It was also hard to miss the stiffness in the other's posture, now that he was in Sorey's presence, the brunette felt a heavy weight growing in his gut as he speculated on the cause of Mikleo's sudden aversion to him. All of the fears he'd thought he'd be able to put to rest since last night returned full-force. Is this a morning after change of heart? Does Mikleo regret returning his feelings? Is their friendship now broken beyond repair?  
  
“That's all of it,” Mikleo's voice pulls him back to reality. “Eat up.”  
  
Sorey sits down while Mikleo is placing the frying pan in the sink, before he returns to take a chair at the table, too. Sorey makes a comment, he thinks he might have said ' _this looks great_ ', but his mind is so preoccupied, he isn't completely sure. Mikleo glances at him with a half-smile, but he doesn't get overly flustered or embarrassed the way he usually does when he's met with praise. They begin eating in silence, Sorey wants to enjoy his breakfast, but it's an effort to make himself swallow when all he wants to do is find out why Mikleo is acting this way. It only takes a few mouthfuls for him to break, he has to know, for better or for worse.  
  
“Mikleo, can we talk?” With the tension in the air, his quiet question seems to echo in the small kitchen.  
  
Mikleo's hand stops halfway to his mouth, his fork hanging in mid-air for a moment, before he places it back down on his plate with a soft _clink_.  
  
“Yes,” Mikleo still won't look at him. “What is it?”  
  
“It's about last night.” It hurts to even think it and making himself say these words is like coughing up thorns, but he needs to know. “Mikleo, have you changed your mind about...about _us_?”  
  
Mikleo jumps up from the table, his chair tumbling backwards to land on the floor, as he finally turns his eyes on Sorey. “No! I meant everything I said, but I...I thought...”  
  
Mikleo trails off as Sorey stands up, closing the space between them to take Mikleo's hands in his, the fact that Mikleo doesn't stop him from doing so, does a lot to ease his anxieties.  
  
“...I thought _you had_.” The pale-haired teen finished.  
  
Sorey counseled himself to remain calm, it seemed they really did need to talk, after all.  
  
“Why would you think that? This is all I've wanted for weeks, I would nev-”  
  
Delicate fingers tighten around his, nails pricking at his skin as Mikleo cuts him off.  
  
“I woke up and you weren't there...” He paused to take a deep breath before continuing. “...I didn't think anything of it, at first, but you've never gotten up before me and before I could stop it, I just started having all these awful thoughts. I overreacted, clearly.”  
  
A misunderstanding, that's all this was.  
  
Sorey traced slow circles on the back of Mikleo's hand with his thumb, before speaking softly. “This is going to take some getting used to, for the both of us.”  
  
Mikleo huffed out a breath. “You'll be fine, I'm sure. Me, on the other hand...”  
  
Sorey smiled, recognizing some of Mikleo's familiar acerbic wit returning, everything was okay, everything was going to be okay.  
  
Mikleo felt Sorey suddenly stiffen and he looked up to see his friend's face growing redder by the second, those green eyes now intensely focused...on him. “What? What is it?”  
  
“Um, those clothes...” Sorey trailed off.  
  
Mikleo looked down at his attire and practically choked on his next breath when he saw what had captured Sorey's attention.  
  
_'This is not my shirt! It must be...'_  
  
“I can explain, I swear!” His voice came out high and squeaky, mortification robbing him of his ability to modulate his tones in any way. “After we...um...last night...and it was dark and I just grabbed the first thing from the top of the pile of clean clothes in my room.”  
  
Mikleo had been so distracted, his brain swimming in thoughts of Sorey and his lips and his hands and _oh, his lips_! Once he'd reached the safety of the guest bedroom, he'd stood with his back pressed against the door and just tried to remember how to make his heart beat normally again. His body had felt oddly warm all over and he'd gotten it into his head that he must have been sweating, so he'd changed out of the clothes he'd been wearing for less than an hour and reached blindly for the pile of clean laundry he hadn't got around to packing away yet. Sorey's shirt must have gotten mixed in with Mikleo's clothes and in his anxious state upon waking up alone, he'd simply never noticed anything awry.  
  
For a moment they both stood in silence, before Sorey spoke up. “It looks good on you.”  
  
Too much, too much, this was too much for him to handle all at once. With the way Sorey was still holding onto his hands, Mikleo couldn't use them to cover his face and with the overturned dining chair behind his legs, he couldn't escape backwards either, so he took the only remaining option available to him. Stepping forward, he hid his face against the other's shoulder, squeezing his eyes closed in an attempt to shut out the overwhelming cascade of emotions that threatened to drown him. It didn't help matters that at this proximity, Mikleo could smell the lingering scent of the vanilla and soy milk body wash Sorey used, clinging faintly to the surface of his skin. His cheeks burned and there was an unfamiliar heat blossoming low in Mikleo's stomach, spreading out to warm his limbs and send his heart racing.  
  
“You can't just say things like that,” His words are muffled against the fabric of Sorey's shirt. “When you do, I just...don't know how to react.”  
  
Before last night, everything had been simpler. He'd never been able to accept most compliments without getting embarrassed, but when it had been from Sorey, he'd always been secretly happy, too. Now, his feelings confused and distressed him, Mikleo wanted to do this right, he wanted to make this...whatever this was, work. How much had to change between them for that to happen, though?  
  
Thoroughly exhausted by the battleground his thoughts had become, Mikleo forced himself to speak past the lump in his throat. “Can we go somewhere today?” He felt like if they stayed in all day, he'd drive himself insane. Mikleo wanted, no, _needed_ a distraction. “Please, it doesn't matter where.”  
  
“There's this new café bookshop at the mall,” Sorey suggested, after a quiet moment. “I think it opened up about a week ago?”  
  
Already feeling less tense at the idea, Mikleo blew out a shaky breath. “That actually sounds great, really great.”  
  
He didn't want to put distance between them exactly, but Mikleo just needed a little space to sort himself out, with the buffer of being in a public place and surrounded by other people. Stuffing his complicated emotions into a box at the back of his mind, he pulled away and Sorey let him go without a fight. He took a brief glance at the plates of uneaten food and frowned at the waste, eggs did not reheat well, so cold as they were, everything was more or less bound for the rubbish bin.  
  
As if reading his mind, Sorey spoke up. “I'll clean up in here, just leave it to me. You can go and have a shower and I'll meet you in the lounge room in about 20 minutes.”  
  
Mikleo felt calmer now that they had some sort of plan, with a brief nod, he slipped past the other and headed for the bathroom. Turning on the water, he undressed quickly while he waited for the shower to warm up. For just a moment, he stood with Sorey's shirt in his hands, rubbing the dark-blue fabric between his fingers and observing the softness of it against his skin.  
  
_'It looks good on me, huh?'_  
  
With a sigh, Mikleo carefully folded the garment and placed it neatly on the counter next to the sink.  
  
“I'm such a mess.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT // OMG YOU GUYS LOOK AT THE ADORABLE PERFECT FANART evr DREW FOR MY HIGH SCHOOL DORKS! http://celestialrecord2.tumblr.com/post/143303453901/put-me-down-ha-ha-ha-no-way-youre-stuck EVERYONE GO LOOK AT IT BECAUSE IT IS AMAZING!
> 
> Did I just write an unwanted boner scene into my high school au, yes I totally did. Hope some of you got a laugh or two out of it haha
> 
> Next up for our favourite nerds: the-first-proper-date-that's-totally-not-a-date-or-anything, yay!
> 
> A big thank you to anyone who's stuck around this long to read my shit, I really appreciate all the awesome comments and kudos and all the support everyone has given my fic <3 you guys are awesome
> 
> And a special thankies to evr, because swapping snippets from our fics and talking about our ideas seriously has helped keep me going with this fic so yay for friendship and the power of gay dorks that caused us to meet each other <3


	9. Chapter 9

Mikleo had fully intended to shower quickly and be back in the living room in less than the 20 minutes Sorey had originally proposed. Glancing at the clock on the wall, he soon realises they would be fortunate to leave in anything less than a half hour.  
  
Biting down on his lip, he examines his reflection in the mirror and has to resist the urge to throw something as he once again feels dissatisfaction welling up inside him at his appearance. He'd chosen a rarely worn pair of dark jeans and paired it with a white button down shirt, covered by the same baby blue sweater from the previous night. He'd tried on about three different outfits in the last ten minutes and he was only getting more frustrated at his inability to settle on one of them He's never been someone particularly concerned with the nuances of his clothing, so why now? As long as it was tidy, functional and comfortable, that had been all that had ever mattered to him.  
  
“It's not like we're going anywhere special,” He mumbles to himself, fingers playing nervously with a loose thread on his sleeve. “We're just having lunch, it's not like it's a date to a fancy restaurant or anything.”  
  
_'Is it a date, though? Now that we're...now that we've...wouldn't this kind of thing normally be called a date of sorts?'_  
  
He's just about to decide that he doesn't want to wear the white button down after all, when there's a tentative knock at the door. “Mikleo? You're taking a bit of a long time, are you alright?”  
  
_'To hell with it all!'_  
  
“Yes! I'm just putting on my shoes. I'll be right there, Sorey.” He calls out the first thing that comes to mind, as he hurriedly pulls on his old white sneakers. He wishes he had something a bit nicer, but he’s positive Sorey won’t even notice something as inconsequential as his shoes.  
  
“Okay, I'll just b-” Sorey is interrupted as Mikleo comes flying out of the room, he's in such a hurry that he crashes straight into Sorey. Mikleo's forehead collides with the taller boy's chin and they both recoil from the impact, hands clutching at their respective pains. Sorey recovers after a few seconds, having experienced several such minor collisions while playing basketball, so he's able to shake it off rather quickly. He moves to check on Mikleo, who still has his hands pressed against his head.  
  
“Here, let me look,” He speaks softly and doesn't wait for Mikleo to protest, moving his hands aside and gently touching the reddening spot on his forehead. Sorey feels Mikleo wince under his fingers and he worries that his friend is the type to bruise easily. He certainly looks it, after all. “There's no blood, I think it'll be okay.”  
  
It's at this comment, that Mikleo seems to come out of the daze he's been in for the last few seconds or so, pouting as he pushes Sorey's hands away. “Of course, I'm not made of glass, you know.”  
  
Sorey feels his self-control bucking at the reins, as he has to resist the powerful urge to kiss that pout right off Mikleo's face. His claims to not be as fragile as he appears only serving to feed Sorey's fantasies.  
  
“Of course not.” Sorey teases, taking a step back. Just in case he did something silly, like pick Mikleo up and hold him against the wall as he kissed him until they were both breathless. He could already imagine what Mikleo's slight weight would feel like in his hands. Luckily for him, Mikleo interrupts his all too perilous train of thought to announce they should get going.  
  
“If we get in just early enough, we might be able to bypass the busy lunch rush.”  
  
  
  
“Ah, that must be it over there.” Sorey points past Mikleo's shoulder, his eyes bright with curiosity. They'd been walking around the mall for almost 10 minutes trying to find the place Sorey had heard about.  
  
Mikleo turns and feels as if he's been slapped when he sees the name of the cafe. The sign was simple but elegant. The logo was an old-fashioned tea cup and saucer sitting atop a book with the name rendered beside it in delicate-looking calligraphy. “ _Muse_ , huh?”  
  
“Yeah! Apparently it’s popular with the writing crowd and--Mikleo? Are you okay?”  
  
“Yes, let’s go inside.” Mikleo answers just a little bit too quickly, reminding himself to relax. It’s just a crazy coincidence, nothing more.  
  
Sorey doesn’t say anything, but follows Mikleo as he walks towards the counter. All of the fixtures and furniture appear to be carved out of the same dark-coloured wood and the walls are lined with bookshelves, even above the seating booths. There are several people already dotted about the space, a few bent over laptops or notepads.  
  
A sign by the register advises them to take a seat and wait to be served, so Mikleo grabs them a menu as Sorey finds them a place to sit. “Mikleo, over here.” Sorey tugs on his wrist and directs him to a booth in the far corner.  
  
When they get closer, Mikleo knows exactly why Sorey chose this space. _‘Poetry’_ , reads the sign affixed to one of the shelves above the booth. He slides into the booth with a sigh, expecting Sorey to seat himself on the opposite side. Instead, the brunette drops himself into the seat right next to Mikleo.  
  
“We never did finish breakfast, did we?” Mikleo says as he opens the menu, attempting to distract himself from Sorey’s closeness. Which works, until Sorey scoots closer to view the menu as well, his thigh pressing up against Mikleo’s under the tabletop.  
  
Mikleo finds himself continually flicking his eyes over to look at Sorey, whose face is only about three inches from his own. The light from the wall lamps reflects off the shining surface of the silver ear cuffs the brunette wears; the ones Mikleo gave him for his birthday less than a day ago.  
  
_It would be simple_ , Mikleo thinks, _to lean over and kiss him_. He’s even sure that Sorey would be 100% okay with it if he did. Sorey has kissed him twice, so far. He feels like he should at least try and make the effort to be as... _proactive_ in their new relationship. He’d thought the desire he felt would be lessened if Sorey ever reciprocated his feelings. His eyes drop to Sorey’s lips and he thinks that is clearly not the case at present.  
  
“Mm, I’m thinking the strawberry cheesecake, what about you?” Sorey speaks up suddenly, surprising Mikleo out of his reverie. Good thing too, because he’d been moving closer to Sorey without realising it. If Sorey had turned his head…  
  
“Cake for breakfast?” Mikleo forces his eyes back to the menu. “Just don’t make a habit of it.”  
  
Sorey laughs, bumping their shoulders together. “Come on, sometimes you’ve just gotta live a little. Plus, I feel like celebrating!”  
  
Sorey’s good mood is infectious and Mikleo can’t help the way his mouth turns up at the edges, bringing his hand up to cover it. A waitress comes to take their order and Sorey orders the cheesecake, just like he said he would.  
  
“Make it two,” Mikleo says, closing the menu. “And a chai latte, please.” Mikleo can practically feel Sorey looking at him as he passes the menu over to the waitress, waiting until she leaves to turn and face his friend. “What?”  
  
Sorey just smiles at him, “Sudden change of heart?”  
  
“Let’s just say you’re a bad influence,” Mikleo teases, bringing his arm up to rest his cheek on his hand. “If I get a stomach ache from all the sugar, I expect you to take full responsibility.”  
  
Sorey mirrors his pose, resting his face on his hand as well. “It’d only be fair. You did take care of me after my concussion, after all. I wouldn’t mind returning the favour.” Ending his declaration, Sorey sits back up and turns around. Running his fingertips over the spines of the books on the shelf above the booth, he pulls one out and flips through the pages. Sorey smiles and Mikleo would have found it endearing, if only he didn’t know exactly what was about to come next.  
  
“Mikleo,” Sorey begins, “A million stars up in the sky, one shines brighter I can't deny. A love so precious a love so true, a love that comes from me to you.”  
  
Mikleo covers his face with his hands and groans, but Sorey isn’t done yet. With every terrible, corny verse that follows, Mikleo can feel his face growing warmer and warmer. He’s never been a fan of poetry, but the way Sorey is reading it is pushing buttons he didn’t even know he’d had. Finally, he can’t take it anymore, “Sorey, I promise you that I’m suitably woo’d. You can stop now.”  
  
Sorey mercifully closes the poetry book, but his expression morphs into one of pure mischief. “I’ll stop...for a price.”  
  
Mikleo raises an eyebrow in challenge, folding his arms across his chest. “If it were anyone else but you saying that, I’d be worried. Name your price.” It’s comforting, that they can still slip into familiar patterns like this.  
  
Sorey opens his mouth to reply, but he’s interrupted by the waitress’ arrival with their food.  
  
“Two cheesecakes and a chai latte,” The waitress confirms as she places their orders on the table. “Is there anything else I can get you or will that be all?”  
  
“That’s great, thanks so much!” Sorey replies, looking back at Mikleo for his answer.  
  
He shakes his head. “I’m okay, thank you.”  
  
The waitress catches Mikleo’s eye and gives him a small smile before she turns to leave. Mikleo reaches out and picks up the latte he’d ordered, bringing the mug to his lips. It’s not bad, but he can tell they’d used a powder and not real tea. His mother had always used real chai tea and the unexpected memory makes his chest ache.  
  
“Mikleo, say ahh!”  
  
He pulls his eyes away from his drink to see Sorey holding out his fork, a strawberry speared on the end of it. Any melancholy he’d been feeling is immediately buried under a wave of embarrassment that has him gripping his mug so tightly he’s surprised it doesn’t shatter. Sorey appears unbothered by Mikleo’s hesitation, his smile unfaltering as he waits patiently for Mikleo to accept or refuse his offering.  
  
_‘Baby steps, it’s just a piece of fruit. No big deal.”_  
  
Swallowing hard, Mikleo closes his eyes and opens his mouth. “A-ahh…”  
  
  
  
Sorey knew he was pushing things just a bit, but he trusted Mikleo to tell—or at least show him somehow—if he was feeling truly overwhelmed. Guiding the strawberry into the other’s mouth, Sorey felt his stomach flip as Mikleo’s lips closed around the end of the fork. Gods, if he wasn’t more careful, Mikleo wouldn’t be the only one feeling a bit overwhelmed. Turning back to his plate, Sorey is just about to continue eating when he hears Mikleo clear his throat.  
  
Mikleo is holding out his own fork now, a piece of cheesecake balanced on the end of it. The blush on his face extends from his cheeks, all the way to the tips of his ears and he’s very pointedly looking everywhere except at Sorey.  
  
Knowing Mikleo won’t see it if he opens his mouth, Sorey takes ahold of Mikleo’s wrist and brings the fork to his lips. Mikleo is finally looking at him out of the corner of his eye and Sorey can’t resist the urge to tease him a little. Drawing Mikleo’s hand back with a deliberate slowness, he makes sure to lick his lips as he meets his friend’s gaze.  
  
This, it seems, is Mikleo’s breaking point. In his frantic attempt to squeeze himself into the farthest corner of the booth, he throws his elbow against the edge of the table and his mug topples over. The faint smell of tea and spices fills the air as his drink spills across the polished wooden surface and straight into Sorey’s lap. Sorey yelps as the heated liquid soaks into his pants and stings his legs. Mikleo grabs the napkin dispenser from its place against the wall, tearing out a handful and pressing them against the spreading dampness on Sorey’s pants. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry, Sorey!”  
  
To his credit, Sorey just nods and puts on a brave face. “I-it’s okay, I’m okay,” He said, “It wasn’t that hot anyway. It just...surprised me.”  
  
Mikleo was intensely relieved to find he hadn’t accidentally given Sorey second-degree burns on their first date-that-totally-wasn’t-a-date. “Serves you right for provoking me like that,” Mikleo grumbled half-heartedly under his breath as he dropped the handful of sodden napkins on the table.  
  
“I know, but you were being so cute that I just couldn’t stop myself,” Sorey laughs, “I’m gonna go to the bathroom, I’ll be right back.”  
  
Mikleo nodded, letting out a deep sigh once Sorey was out of earshot. In the meantime, he decided to go and tell one of the staff about the mess before it could spread any further. He found the waitress that had served them and explained what had happened. She was very understanding, waving away his apology with a flick of her wrist.  
  
“It’s fine, really,” She said, “It’s the ones who make a mess and just leave it for us to find later that get on my nerves. I’ll bring some wet towels and have it cleaned up in no time.”  
  
True to her word, she had the spill cleaned up and the table wiped down before Sorey returned from the bathroom. Mikleo was once again seated next to the wall, running his fingernail along a groove in the table’s surface.  
  
“Hey,” Sorey said, keeping his voice low as he dropped into the seat beside Mikleo.  
  
“Hey back,” Mikleo replied, not looking up from the table. “How’d it go in there, you were gone for quite a while?”  
  
“Well, let’s just say it was a good thing no one came in while I was in there,” He said as he ran a hand through his hair. “I would have been arrested for standing around in my underwear while I held my pants under the hand dryer.”  
  
Mikleo turned to look at him so abruptly, leaning in close as he spoke, that Sorey actually had to lean back to avoid another head-on collision. “Y-you didn’t?!”  
  
He put his hands up in defense, “Of course not, I was just joking.”  
  
Mikleo pulled back, looking relieved. “Jeez, don’t scare me like that. Anyway, I’ll wash them for you when we get back. I need to wash that shirt of yours before I go home, anyway.”  
  
Sorey wanted to tell Mikleo to keep the shirt, but he knew the other would never agree if he said it so directly. Sorey decided he’d find a way to give it to him, without Mikleo realizing it. He would have to ask Rose for advice though, Rose had a much more tactical mind than he did.  
  
“Wait, you said go home?” Sorey started, “D-do you have to? I mean, it’s the weekend. You could stay until Monday?” He’d known Mikleo wouldn’t be staying with him forever, but to leave already?  
  
“It was never going to be a permanent thing, you knew that,” Mikleo reminds him as he picks at the remains of his cheesecake, “It was only until we were sure there were no side effects from your concussion.”  
  
Sorey doesn’t want to seem needy or anything, but he really wants Mikleo to stay. He’s been running high on the revelation of their shared feelings since yesterday and he doesn’t want it to end yet.  
  
“They say absence makes the heart grow fonder,” Mikleo added in an attempt to encourage him. “Isn’t that the kind of poetic junk that you’re always telling me?”  
  
Sorey knew that Mikleo was right, but he couldn’t help trying to keep the other with him just a little longer. Putting on his best puppy-dog-eyes, he asks, “Do you have to leave right away?”  
  
“I’ll stay for one movie,” Mikleo replies, quickly adding, “That’s all, though!”  
  
It was something, Sorey decided. They quickly finished their cake and when Sorey suggested taking the long scenic route back to his house, Mikleo didn’t object.  
  
And when Sorey held out his hand for Mikleo to hold, he didn’t object to that either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiiiii~ remember me haha
> 
> yeah life has been a bit cray cray so it's taken me a while to get this chapter out but i already know what i want for the next chapter so it hopefully shouldn't take another 700 years to get the next one out
> 
> If anyone is still reading this after all this time, thankies for sticking with me <3 and get ready for angst ahead coz this was a happy intermission because i have no soul~

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, this is my first foray back into fanfiction (and writing as a whole, if I think about it) in quite a few years. I used to be pretty active on FF.net under a different username back in the day, but at some point I just sort of lost the spark I had for it. I've been feeling the nudge to try again for quite a while and I just all at once decided now was the time xD Just finished playing through TOZ so this is one of the ideas I've been tossing around.
> 
> Hope it isn't too bad considering I'm hella out of practice. Hopefully I can keep this going :) high-school AU's are the best lol


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